Fire Destroys Part Of W.W. Cab Company, Smoke Floods Downtown J.C.

Johnson City, Tenn.—Johnson City Fire Department Capt. Stanley Daniels said his crew contained a fire at W.W. Cab Company before it spread to adjacent buildings Thursday night.

Emergency dispatchers received the call at 7:51 p.m.  The fire was out 46 minutes later, Daniels said. 

W.W. Cab Company is located at 128 Commerce Street—flanked by U-Haul and Campbell’s Music.  Smoke from the fire flooded nearby streets and businesses.

David Ferguson, a W.W. Cab Company employee, noticed the first spark.  “I thought the insulation would smother it, that’s how small it was,“ he said.

Ferguson walked over to his dispatch office, told dispatcher David Clemons about the fire, and walked back to check on the situation.

“All the insulation was melting and falling from the roof.  I told him to call 9-1-1,“ Ferguson said.

Both men acted fast, pulled people and cabs outside, and waited for emergency workers to arrive.

“The fire, in places, it did go through the roof—especially around the chimney—there’s a rubber flange.  That’s what people were seeing.  The fire was burning that rubber flange out,“ Daniels said.

The investigation is open and inconclusive, Daniels said. 

His department’s quick response may have prevented a much larger problem.  U-Haul (the cab company’s neighbor) refills propane tanks.

“It’s a 500-gallon tank over in the parking lot.  It was far enough away that it wasn’t an immediate concern,“ Daniels said.

That’s little consolation for Susan Whaley.  Her husband owns W.W. Cab Company and she handles its daily operations.

“I am told that the back is a total loss,“ Whaley said.  The back half served as a mechanic’s shop, and housed several antique cars.

Susan thinks unwanted guests in nests caused the fire. 

“We’ve had a problem for the last two weeks with pigeons,“ she said.  “Right where they say the fire started, {the birds were} trying to build nests.“

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