A mechanical shop went up in flames Wednesday night south of Mitchell.

Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says they were called out shortly before eleven o'clock, to road 31E in the Bristol area.

"When our crews arrived, there was a mechanical shop that was fully involved with fire," reports Wiebe.

He notes his crews were able to knock down the fire but the shop is a total loss, including all vehicles inside. Wiebe admits the weather Wednesday night made for tough conditions, noting it was difficult getting water to the scene because of road conditions. He says they had to rely on additional tankers from the Hanover Fire Department to assist.

Crews were on scene until about 3 am when most of the firefighters left. Wiebe says they kept a small crew there in order to monitor for hot spots overnight.

According to Wiebe, the owners live on the same property and noticed the fire. There was nobody inside the shop when the fire broke out.

"Right now we don't have a damage estimate yet at this point, but it will be a significant loss," says Wiebe.

He adds the Office of the Fire Commissioner is investigating the cause.

Meanwhile, Wiebe says prior to the shop fire, their crews responded to at least four calls where vehicles had driven off the road and ended up in the ditch. Wiebe says most of the calls required nothing more than a tow truck, however, his crews ensured that there was nobody trapped inside.

Wiebe says he does not want to discourage people from calling 911 when they see a vehicle in the ditch, though he suggests that if possible, they first check to make sure it is in fact an emergency before making that call. Wiebe says especially on a night like Wednesday, these calls trigger a response of several large vehicles and many personnel responding on some very dangerous roads.