A Cornwall family has been left without its only source of income just weeks before Christmas after a tow-truck went up in flames early Tuesday.
Bill Fell, who operates City Tow and Recovery in Cornwall, was awakened by the sound of a barking dog and his neighbour pounding on the door as the tow-truck sat burning in the driveway on Shearer Avenue.
"I ran out and tried to put it out with fire extinguishers, but to no avail," said Fell in an interview.
It took four Cornwall firefighters less than an hour to finally put the blaze out at around 5 a.m.
The tow truck is a complete loss - and for the time being so is the family's lone source of income.
"It shouldn't effect Christmas too much," said Fell, who is married with two daughters. "But I won't be doing any work for a while."
It took Fell about two months to finally find a tow truck the last time he went shopping, and he expects more of the same this time. The vehicle was covered by insurance.
Law enforcement and fire officials were combing the scene Tuesday trying to find clues to what started the fire.
While no official word has been released yet, Fell believes the fire was deliberately set and he expects the investigation to determine arson as the cause.
No one was injured in the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact local fire officials or police.
