Fire at Carwash Extinguished: Car Cleaning to Resume by Weekend

by Jonny Benton

(July 14, 2003) Thanks to an alert Village of Larchmont police patrol and a speedy response by the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department, an early morning fire at the High Tech Car Wash was contained to the office.

Last Friday, July 11, at about 2:00 AM, a fire broke out in the office adjacent to the carwash tunnel. Larchmont police officers driving by saw smoke and called in the Town Fire Department. The fire, which started in the ceiling, was extinguished within minutes, according to the owner, Mark Askinazy.

It was not as bad as it looked on Friday morning, said the owner. “I’m calmer, now,” he joked.

The fire was confined to the office, and most of the damage was due to smoke. On Wednesday, workers were cleaning the carwash tunnel that had not experienced any fire damage.

“It wasn't that big of a fire- the town put it out within ten minutes,” said Askinazy who was immediately called to the scene by Police.

"The carwash itself will be open- probably by Saturday," he said.

As for the office, he plans to renovate the area and "make it even better than it was before."

"I would like to thank all my customers for their patience,” Askinazy said. “We will continue to give the best service we can possibly give. We care, we really do."

Jonny Benton graduated from MHS in 2003 and is a summer intern with the Gazette.