Fire Rips Through Leominster Gas Station

A 2-alarm fire Thursday morning destroyed a Leominster, Massachusetts gas station.

The fire broke out at the Sunoco Station on Main Street at about 10 a.m.

NBC10 Boston's Sky Ranger helicopter was over the scene, where plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the gas station. Numerous firefighters were at the scene battling the blaze.

Donna Rabidou had pulled into the station, just off Route 2, due to a flat tire when the fire broke out.

"I was only in there just minutes and then all of a sudden I heard this boom," Rabidou recalled. "You just kinda pause and you see more fire and I'm like, 'I gotta get out of here. This is a gas station. There's gas in those cars.'"

Off-duty Leominster Dep. Fire Chief Gary Ranno spotted the flames first.

"I was off duty, out doing some errands. I stopped in at the dealership, was pulling out of the dealership and saw the smoke coming out of the building," Ranno said.

He used his radio to tell the other firefighters back at the station then began helping to put the fire out.

Out of the five people inside the gas station, only one suffered minor injuries and refused treatment.

Fire Chief Robert Sideleau said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

"It may have been that the car backfired and that's the initial reports," said Sideleau. "

The building has been deemed a total loss but it's still a win for the fire department whose main concern is accounting for everyone inside.

"The fire is out and nobody got hurt. It's awesome," said Ranno.

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