By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The cause of a Thursday, March 21 fire that resulted in the total loss of the building at Carnes Grocery, one miles east of White Hall of U.S. Highway 80 East, remains under investigation, according to Dennis Blair of the Lowndesboro Volunteer Department.

Blair reported that the Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department was paged out at 1:17 a.m. to assist the Collirene Volunteer Fire Department at Carnes Grocery.

He said Collirene arrived to find the building well involved and numerous vehicles parked around the fire hydrant in front of the business.

He said Lowndesboro arrived on scene 14 minutes after being dispatched, “about the time Collirene Fire gained access to the fire hydrant.”

Blair said the fire hydrant was found to have no pressure, and it took around two hours to extinguish the fire with approximately 3,000 gallon of water.

“Both fire departments had to refill their fire truck by traveling approximately one-fourth of a mile east to another fire hydrant,” Blair said.

He said six firefighters from the Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department and four from the Collirene Volunteer Fire Department were on scene.

Blair said the “building was a total loss.”

State Fire Marshal Edward Paulk confirmed Wednesday that the cause of fire still “under investigation.”