HUDSON, OH– Six city vehicles and other electrical devices were damaged in an overnight fire at a city storage building April 28, according to the Hudsonhubtimes.com. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Fire Chief Bob Carter said it appears to be accidental, the Web site reported. An insurance company was determining building and vehicle damage.

City employees reporting to work at 7 a.m. April 28 discovered smoke where their vehicles were stored in the 12,000-square-foot building, built in 1986.  The fire apparently started overnight and had burned itself out by morning.

All six vehicles were smoke damaged, but the extent of heat and smoke damage has yet to be determined, said City Communications Manager Jody Roberts.

Two digger trucks, two bucket trucks, a dump truck, pickup truck and transformers, regulators, wire, and other electrical equipment were damaged in the fire, Roberts said.

Once the equipment is cleaned and examined, the City will determine the extent of the damage. Equipment away from the site of the fire appeared to be less impacted.

An insurance company will determine if the vehicles, which did not catch fire, need to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced, Roberts said.

The damage will be covered by the insurance company, she added.

Hudson Public Power has additional trucks in its fleet stored in other buildings and was able to respond to a power outage April 28, the same day as the fire.

Roberts said the two diggers, big trucks that dig new holes and lift utility poles into place, are out of commission for now, but Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Power has offered to help if the City needs any trucks.

The City may rent vehicles in the interim before it can repair or replace any damaged vehicles, Roberts said.

The City also can ask for mutual aid from AMP-Ohio communities or First Energy, which Hudson Public Power has helped in the past.