Fire destroyed an unoccupied garage apartment on Bookers Lane in the North area of Mathews in the early morning hours Tuesday. A small commercial loader, a dump truck filled with firewood, and a pickup truck that were in the garage were destroyed, as well.

Mathews Fire Chief Ronnie Lewis said that the apartment was under renovation and was intended for future residential use. When firefighters arrived on scene, he said, only one wall of the structure was still standing.

Three engines and a tanker from Mathews Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, along with nine firefighters. In addition, Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad sent an engine and a tanker with one person each, and Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department sent an engine with two people.

Firefighters were on the scene for around three hours, said Lewis. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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