Oldest VW dealer in the country burns. Early video from fire in Beverly, Massachusetts. Listen to the play-by-play from the citizens.

Click here and here for two earlier clips from the same photographer

Watch WCVB-TV’s coverage

The Beverly Fire Department has details about the fire and a series of pictures

North Shore Volkswagen opened in 1953 and the owners call it the oldest VW dealer in the country. The dealership’s main building was destroyed by fire yesterday. The blaze was discovered around dawn.

WFXT-TV reports the fire appears to have been set:

A fire that tore through the North Shore Volkswagen dealership in Beverly Saturday morning and caused half a million dollars worth of damage to the building is now being called “suspicious” by Beverly Fire Chief Peter O’Connor.

In a statement, O’Connor said that there is strong evidence suggesting that the two-alarm blaze was intentionally set.

The person taking the videos above and below drove up to the scene about the same time the firefighters did. These are parts 3 and 4 from the series of videos posted to YouTube. Make sure you listen to the discussion among the bystanders about fireground tactics. Quite enlightening.

Click the image for more pictures from the Beverly Fire Department.

Here is part of the account posted by the Beverly Fire Department:

At 0526, the Beverly Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a fire on the roof at North Shore Volkswagen at 128 Park St. Captain Russell Halloran, the Officer in Charge, turned on to Park St and witness heavy fire and smoke coming from the building and immediately requested a second alarm. Crews from Truck 1, and Engine 5 immediately stretched hoses into the showroom portion of the building in an effort to knock down fire in the building, but heavy heat and intensifying fire conditions drove firefighters out of the building.

As firefighters from Wenham, Manchester, Peabody, Danvers and Salem arrived at the scene, crews were able to force additional exterior doors and get hoses in place to stop the rapid progression of fire. Wenham Firefighters opened holes in the roof to give smoke and heat a place to get out rather than travel the length of the building. The buildings layout kept the bulk of the fire in a loft where fire crews had a difficult time getting water on it. 

Ultimately, crews were able to get water into the loft and get the fire knocked down before it was able to spread further down the building where nearly 1,000 gallons of waste oil was stored. By 0715, crews from outside communities were being released from the scene. Beverly Firefighters will remain on scene throughout the day.

Also on STATter911 …

• UPDATE – Peabody, MA Firefighter James Rice dies battling Hancock Street fire. Fireground audio & chief’s press conference. – December 23, 2011
• Getting Hosed? Not right now. An answer why. – March 15, 2011
• Raw video: Three-alarm strip mall fire in Surrey, British Columbia. – February 3, 2012
• Pre-arrival video: A close up view as firefighters go to work at car dealership in Clovis, California. Chief says onlookers blocked path for fire apparatus. – December 23, 2011