HANCOCK – A fire that destroyed an automotive garage Wednesday afternoon was not considered suspicious, according to officials.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office initially had been notified about the blaze at Richard’s Garage on Route 182, about a mile from Route 1 in Hancock.

The town’s assistant fire chief, however, said that there is no reason for officials to investigate.

“There was nothing suspicious about it, so the [fire marshal’s office] decided they didn’t need to come out,” Dustin Leyendecker said Thursday.

The fire apparently started while employees were working near the gas tank of a vehicle inside the large aluminum building. It was unclear exactly what the catalyst was, but Leyendecker said that the flames spread too quickly for the workers to extinguish them on their own and they fled the building.

Firefighters also dealt with several small explosions from propane tanks and other items inside. A large crowd gathered to watch Wednesday, even after fire crews closed off a stretch of Route 182.

The garage’s owner, George Richard, did not have insurance, according to the assistant chief. He didn’t know whether Richard would rebuild or not. Neighbors said on Wednesday that the business had been open for about two years.

Attempts to reach Richard on Thursday were unsuccessful.