Update: Car dealership fire burned 21 cars, auto shop and more at northeast Fresno location
Solar panels, 21 cars and about half of the auto shop were damaged in an overnight fire at a car dealership in Fresno, according to fire officials on Thursday.
The blaze started around 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Fresno Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Dealership near Blackstone and Escalon avenues, just north of Bullard Avenue.
Crews arrived and had some difficulty reaching the auto shop because of the way cars were positioned in the dealership parking lot, according to Fresno Fire Department public information officer Jonathan Lopez. Firefighters called in a tow truck but it was ultimately not used.
“They were still able to keep the damage contained to the shop where it started,” Lopez said.
Officials did not provide a cost estimate of the damages on Thursday, but noted the fire burned through the roof of the auto shop but no other buildings.
A night janitor heard a loud explosion and went inside the repair shop, where he saw a van on fire, officials have said. Lopez said the fire appears to be an accident, and the shop showed no signs of a break in.
No injuries were reported, Lopez said.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 12:28 PM.
