A Churchville shed, along with many Corvette car parts stored inside, was destroyed in a fire late Tuesday morning, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
The 16-foot by 32-foot shed was in the rear yard of a residence in the 2900 block of Whitfield Road, according to a notice of investigation released Tuesday afternoon.
The property owner, Vincent Gonzalez, placed his Cub Cadet riding mower in the shed after he finished cutting the grass, and five minutes later, he smelled smoke, according to the report.
Gonzalez saw the shed was on fire, and he tried to put it out with "numerous portable fire extinguishers," according to the report.
He could not put the fire out, though. Firefighters were alerted shortly before 11 a.m., and 20 members of the Level Volunteer Fire Company arrived on the scene. It took about 15 minutes to get the blaze under control, according to the report.
The shed and the contents within, including Corvette engines and transmissions, were destroyed. The fire caused $5,000 worth of damage to the shed and $95,000 in damage to the contents, according to the report.
No injuries were reported. The fire started when grass clippings and other flammable materials next to the riding mower started burning, according to the report.