For 58 years McFarland & Son Garage was the go-to auto repair and maintenance shop for folks in the East Penn Township area.

But at about 3 a.m. Sunday, a 2018 Toyocar van Container Trailer driven by an allegedly intoxicated driver crashed into a utility pole next to garage, at 396 West Lizard Creek Road (Route 895).

The pole fell, igniting a blaze that destroyed the garage and a second floor apartment.

A report released by Lehighton State Trooper Mark E. Bower says the crash happened at 3:16 a.m.

“The crash ignited a fire in McFarland’s Auto Garage. The operator was found to be DUI. The investigation is pending lab results,” Bower wrote.

The driver, a 27-year-old man from Whitehall, was not named on the report.

Township fire Chief Brenden McArdle said the crash “damaged the electrical service to that garage causing the fire.”

McArdle said that about 20 minutes after the crash, that’s when the fire started in the exterior of the building before it rapidly spread and involved the whole structure.

“It was a very quick response by our station,” he said. “They immediately called for a second alarm seeing the fully-involved structure engulfed in flames.”

McArdle said the garage is a total loss, and added there were two different fill sites that were established.

“I don’t think there’s anything even salvageable in there,” he said. “The biggest thing was we needed tankers to haul water because there were no hydrants in that area.”

McArdle said there were no injuries reported, but that there are four people who lived in a house attached to the rear of the garage who were assisted by the Red Cross.

He said the fire remains under investigation by a Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal who was on scene.

Troy McFarland, who owns the garage with his son, Kyle, was awakened by a call from a friend who lives close by, alerting him to the fire.

“Lots of memories lost,” he said.

McFarland and Sons Garage Inc., a family-owned garage in East Penn Township, was founded nearly six decades ago in 1964.

Calvin McFarland purchased the garage on Lizard Creek Road on March 17, 1964, where he began running the automotive repair shop and renamed it. Troy McFarland and his son Kyle have taken over the business.

But the hardworking McFarlands won’t let the devastating loss keep them from taking care of their customers.

“We are going to be working out of the auto sales building for now,” Troy McFarland said.

Kyle McFarland posted on his Facebook page, “We will be moving business operations across the street to McFarlands Auto Sales so we can continue to serve our customers. We ask that you be patient while we transition and get back up and running. If you had an appointment scheduled for this week please call McFarlands Auto Sales at 610-379-4799 so that we can reschedule appointments as needed.”

‘Never steered me wrong’

Many customers expressed sorrow about the fire.

Diz Szucs of Palmerton, who has been taking her car to McFarland’s for years, said, “I cannot afford to be lied to or taken advantage of when I bring my car to the garage. If the mechanic tells me the car is in need of repair, I must be able to trust that he is not lying to me just to make a sale. They are punctual with making appointments, and they have never ever steered me wrong with my vehicle or any repairs or servicing that my car needed. I have the upmost trust and respect in their professional opinion and advice.”

Mary Ann Haupt of Lehighton said she’s been a customer since the early 70s when she was a young mother raising a child alone.

“I had learned the hard way that there were businesses who would take advantage of young women who knew nothing about purchasing a vehicle or keeping them in good repair. I needed reliable transportation for work. So, finding McFarland’s garage where I could trust their workmanship and advice came as a real blessing to me at the time,” Haupt said.

“Cal’s policy of allowing 30 days to pay my bill was much appreciated by this young working mother. My husband and I have continued to take our cars there for repair, as well as purchase vehicles from them. I can honestly say we’ve never been disappointed with a purchase or service. I pray the business will survive and prosper in the future.”

The garage was covered by insurance, Troy McFarland said.

Family of 4

Charles and Zuleika Mest, the couple who lived above the garage with their two children, Izayah, 6, and Yadi, 15, lost everything to the flames.

“I had woken up around 2:30 a.m. in my living room and had walked to my room. I must have just started falling back asleep when we heard a buzzing noise coming from outside,” he said.

“I jumped up and saw outside was lit up blue. We ran over and looked but nothing was there anymore. We walked to our living room and looked but still couldn’t see anything,” Mest said.

“I told my wife I was a little shaken up, that I wanted to smoke a cigarette. Before I got out the door, she had said she smelled wires burning in our room really bad. I walked outside and down around the side of the building and through the window I could see the flames already engulfing the one office in the garage,” he said.

“I ran back up to the apartment and yelled for my wife and kids to get up and get out the house. I called 911 right away, but in the 25-30 minutes until they arrived the whole building was already in flames. They fought the fire for three. Maybe three and a half hours, until it seemed like it was finally going out.

“It was honestly the first time that I can saw I feared the life of my wife and children,” Mest said.

Kyle McFarland’s wife, Megan, works as a certified veterinary technician at Mahoning Valley Animal Hospital, where has set up a donation drive has been set for the Mests.

Donation Drive for the Mest Family’s Facebook page lists the needs: For the 6-year old boy, adult small shirts, husky XL (14-16), size 5 shoes. for the 15-year old, XL shirts, 36-38, size 14 shoes, and XL underwear.

“All donations can be dropped off at the animal hospital. I will be accepting household items (I will store until they have a place), clothing, shoes, nonperishable food items, toys, blankets/pillows, gift cards (Visa, grocery stores, restaurants), and cash,” said organizer Stephanie Prutzman.

A GoFundMe account called “Operation Home” has also been set up.

Flames as high

as 100 feet

Across Route 895 and down a ways, former East Penn Township Supervisor Gordon E. Scherer Jr.’s family had gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday.

A little after 3 a.m. on Sunday, son Wade Scherer was up and getting ready to take his wife to the Philadelphia Airport for an early flight back to Colorado. He stepped outside when he saw the flames, which his father said were about 100 feet high.

Wade’s brother, Gordon E. Scherer III, of Seattle, said “Wade called 911 and they told him someone had already called.

When we walked out, the fire trucks were here already. The power went out shortly after that.”

Multi-alarm

McArdle said firefighters cleared the scene at about 9 a.m., and that Mahoning Valley Fire Department, Mahoning Valley Ambulance, Lehighton Fire Department, Lehighton Ambulance, Bowmanstown Fire Department, Parryville Fire Department, Aquashicola Fire Department, Palmerton Fire Department, Franklin Township Fire Department, and West Penn Township Fire Department assisted at the scene.

“All the departments really helped out,” McArdle said. “Burger King donated a large amount of food, about 50 sandwiches (to those on scene).”

He said East Penn’s ladder truck did sustain some damage after several hoses were contaminated with waste oil and will need to be replaced.

The Carbon County Emergency Management was involved because of oil that got into the waterways.

McArdle said firefighters did the best they could under the circumstances.

“This was a very rapid growing fire in a commercial structure with a heavy fire load that despite our best efforts and a rapid response from all the mutual aid entities, we were unable to save this structure,” he said. “I don’t believe there’s anything that could have changed the outcome.”

McArdle stressed there is a huge need for volunteers to join their local fire departments.