Motorists driving east on State Route 7 between Chesapeake and Proctorville were greeted by a terrifying sight on Thursday.

A local auto dealership had been engulfed by fire and the flames towered high above the building, located next to the highway.

The building was a loss, but thankfully, no one was injured in the fire, which extinguished within an a few hours.

But the incident serves to remind us of the great emergency personnel we have in the region.

Members of the Chesapeake-Union, Proctorville, Windsor and Burlington all responded to the call, while Lawrence EMS was also on the scene.

And traffic was rerouted away from the fire by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

And we would also like to commend local citizens who helped to warn drivers and turn back traffic until crews arrived.

The fact that a major fire, near a busy roadway could be quickly put out and no one was harmed, shows the great coordination between area agencies and emergency services.

These men and women routinely put their lives on the line for us and we thank them for all that they do.