Walton gas station burns

Hilltop Convenience Store in Walton was destroyed by a fire that ripped through the store early Saturday morning.

Fire crews responded to the fire about 4:15 a.m. to find the building fully involved, said Battalion Chief Steve Brackeen of the Newton Fire Department.

Newton offered mutual aid to Walton Fire along with the Hesston, Whitewater and Peabody fire departments.

Water had to be trucked into the area because there are no fire hydrant to draw water from.

The fire crews were able to shut off nearby fuel tanks and prevent them from catching ablaze.

A nearby trailer home had to be evacuated, but the home was saved from damage. No one was injured in the fire. The business was closed at the time the fire broke out.

Because of heavy smoke drifting over the road, U.S. Highway 50 was shut down for about two hours as fire crews battled the blaze.

Where the fire started and what caused the fire have yet to be determined, Brackeen said.

Newton fire investigators along with the State Fire Marshall’s Office, will be investigating the fire. Investigator Jim Sauerwein with the Harvey County Sheriff's Office is aksing anyone who may have been driving in the area of the store between 3:30 and 4 a.m. Saturday and saw the fire to call the sheriff's department at 284-6960.

The dollar loss of the fire has yet to be determined. Brackeen said the owners will need to calculate the value of the contents of the store, and that may take some time.

The convenience store is one of the few businesses in the small town of Walton.

Merliyn Johnson, fire chief for Harvey County Fire District No. 1, which is based in Walton, said the destruction of the store is a significant loss to Walton and the surrounding area.

“It is a huge hit — a huge loss,” he said. “People from the community and the area — Hillsboro, Peabody and Florence, tend to use that store as they are going home or are on their way to work.

Johnson said he had been in contact with the family who owns the store. The store was insured, and the owners have expressed some interest in rebuilding, he said.