The charred remains of an unfinished shop building is all that’s left Friday night after a fire broke out behind the car wash in Powers. World Photo by Susan Chambers

POWERS — The darkened, charred remains of a partially constructed shop building near the intersection of Second Avenue and Poplar Street was in stark contrast to the rest of downtown Powers, lit up by strings of holiday lights and the flashing lights of the last fire truck and ambulance on the scene Friday night.

Yellow police tape cordoned off an area near a building that housed a car wash that shares the property with the burnt structure. Several onlookers watched firefighters coil the last of the hoses while a steady drizzle fell. The shop building, owned by Powers resident Jeff Allred, was a complete loss, said Powers Fire Assistant Chief Laural Dudley.

A single car, its tires melted away, the paint turned gray from the fire, smoke and water, was still in the building. Dudley said the owner lost a car and a camp trailer in the fire.

One side of the building appeared to have collapsed outward, a skeleton of wall construction.

Dudley said the first reports the fire department received said there was an explosion at the Powers Services gas station and that the local hotel was on fire.

“That’s what we thought,” she said.

Dudley said she could see the glow of the flames from her house near the river.

Once on scene, firefighters were able to protect the neighboring houses across the alley and other businesses downtown from the fire that fully engulfed the building by the time firefighters arrived. The hotel, about a half a block away, was safe as well, separated from the building by an empty grass field.

Dudley said the shop building was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived.

“It was a ball of flame,” she said.

North Bend and Coos Bay fire departments were asked to assist on the blaze at about 6:30 p.m.

A spokesman from Coos Bay said by the time firefighters were ready to head out to Myrtle Point or Coquille to stand by, the request was canceled. Jason Dunagan, a North Bend firefighter said six firefighters with one engine stood by in Myrtle Point for about two hours but never saw the fire.

Coquille Fire Chief Dave Waddington said one engine with a crew of five responded from his department. He said he was not at the scene.

Waddington added that Bandon, Bridge, Millington and Greenacres fire departments were called for assistance, but he believes only Coquille, Myrtle Point and Powers got to the scene.

The shop building was going to be used to store older cars and other items, said Jay Allred, whose son is the owner.

“We just needed space,” he said.

The 72-year-old, who lives about 50 yards from the site of the fire, said he was unaware of how the fire started, but by the time he saw the building it was fully engulfed. It sits near Powers Services, which he owned up until 10 years ago. He added that the Powers Carwash, which is also owned by the family, lost some paint in the blaze.

“It’s all tin. As far as we can see, so far it really didn’t receive too much damage,” Jay Allred said.

He added that his son was upset at the loss.

“He’s pretty shook up,” he said.