PONTIAC - As Dan and Marty Heller surveyed the burned-out service department at their car dealership, the brothers often mentioned the community's response after a late-night fire Friday. | VIDEO: Heller praises community response

The blaze, reported at 11 p.m. at Heller Lincoln-Mercury-Dodge, 720 S. Deerfield Road, remains under investigation, although the fire likely started with a vehicle brought in for service late in the day.

No one was injured. The sales and parts departments are expected to open Monday. Dan Heller was not sure when the service department would reopen.

About a dozen area fire departments and several local residents responded. The help was "phenomenal," said Marty Heller.

A Livingston County deputy at a nearby gas station reported the fire after he saw smoke rolling out of a service department vent. Firefighters fought the blaze about three and a half hours. Seven vehicles were in the service department at the time of the fire, Marty Heller said.

Marty Heller and others drove out seven vehicles from the adjacent showroom.

"But that smoke was something bad," said Dan Heller. "Getting a mouthful of that - it wasn't long before you started feeling sick."

Mechanical problem with vehicle?

The 15,000-square-foot garage had minor to moderate fire damage, said Pontiac Fire Chief John Cummins.

Cummins did not know if the cause was a mechanical problem with the vehicle. "It will have to be looking at by an engineering expert," Cummins said. "At this point, we're not even sure what it was brought into the dealership for."

The extent of the damage to the vehicles and the service department was undetermined. Dan Heller said insurance representatives were expected on Sunday to review the damage.

Pointing out a soot-covered wall and a metal window covering, Dan Heller said the showroom had only minor smoke damage because the building's fire protection system contained the fire to the service department.

In addition to the Pontiac dealership, the Heller brothers are partners at Heller Ford in El Paso and Heller Chevrolet in Chenoa. The first Heller dealership was opened in 1956 in El Paso by Gene Heller.

Fire departments from Bloomington, Dwight, Long Point, Saunemin, Cullom and Chenoa were among those that responded. A complete list was not available.