They say lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

Don’t tell that to Gary Grose.

Grose’s bodyshop business, G&R’s Body Shop, 1846 Wells Road in Collins, was destroyed by a fire Thursday morning.

The business, owned by Gary and Terry Grose, fell victim to fire once before.

“About (19)95,” Grose said. “It wiped out everything. Actually, it was worse than this one. That (the cause) was undetermined. They thought it might have been arson, but nothing came of it.”
The cause if Thursday’s fire is believed to be related to a wood stove, Townsend Township Fire Chief Al McGinn said.

McGinn said when firefighters first arrived, flames were shooting from the corner of G&R’s Body Shop where the stove was located. McGinn said within five to 10 minutes, the entire building was engulfed.
Grose said the wood burner was being used, and there were two vehicles in the building he was working on. Nobody was in the building at the time. One of the neighbors drove by, saw the fire, and called it in, Grose said.

The business is insured, Grose added.

Will the couple rebuild the business?

“Good question,” Grose said Friday morning. “Do you do it again or not? It’s a tough decision. A lot of thinking.”

Gary, 57, and Terry have two grown children. How is she taking the fire? “Pretty good, considering,” he said.

“I have 20 years in the business. I have no idea of what we are going to do.”
How many cars have Grose worked on in his garage? “A bunch,” he said. “I really couldn’t say. That’s my livelihood.”

The Townsend Township Volunteer Fire Department was notified about the fire at 9:36 a.m. and arrived at 9:40, McGinn said. Eight personnel and four trucks arrived from the Townsend department. The Berlin Heights department provided mutual aid, bringing nine personnel and three trucks. McGinn said firefighters used about 35,000 gallons of water to control the blaze. Firefighters secured the scene at 2:10 p.m.