Christmas Eve fire in Hewitt destroys a building with a long history
by Trinity Gruenberg
Jason Motl woke to several missed calls in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve.
He was staying in Bertha at his girlfriend’s when he woke to a call his home and business were on fire.
He drove to Hewitt before 5 a.m., and upon arriving saw the building burning, surrounded by fire crews battling the blaze.
Motl was concerned for the firemen’s safety knowing he had propane tanks and oil barrels inside. Witnesses shared they heard explosions shortly after the fire ignited.
Motl stayed in the semi parking lot and watched the scene while speaking to deputies and firemen.
“They risked their lives to come over on Christmas Eve to fight a fire for me,” said a grateful Motl.
He purchased the building to house his trucking business and made living quarters for himself. He later started building race engines for friends and painted trucks that were entered in pulls.
“I worked on a lot of toys in there for people,” he said. . .