Pine Island garage goes up in flames with Corvettes, tools

Pine Island - Five fire companies were called last Wednesday evening to help contain a garage fire on Newport Bridge Road. According to Pine Island Fire Chief Rich Koziola, Randy Blenis, who owns a ski lift installation business called Ropeway, was not home when his detached commercial garage caught fire around 7:30 p.m. The Pine Island Fire Department members happened to be at their firehouse having their annual physicals when one member, coming from town, saw a large plume of smoke. The firefighters headed out to Newport Bridge Road, just as the calls were coming in. When they arrived, the garage was fire was fully involved, Koziola said. Warwick, Florida, Unionville, Vernon, and Johnson fire companies were all called. “He had two Corvettes in there. Three four-wheelers he uses for his business, a hoist. He lost lots of tools,” Koziola added. The garage sits about 300 feet from the residence, which was also unoccupied at the time. No one was injured and no other property damage occurred. The cause of the fire is listed as accidental, according to the chief, and remains under investigation.