SeattleāA fire at a South Park auto shop was caused by the spontaneous combustion of oily rags according to a Seattle Fire Department Investigator. The fire is being ruled as accidental.
At 6:32 p.m. a 911 call into dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center reported smoke and flames coming from the roof of the commercial building located in the 7200 block of Second Avenue South. South Park Engine Company 26 arrived first to find heavy smoke coming from the vehicle repair shop. The two-story business was locked so firefighters had to forcibly break through the door to get the fire. Once inside, firefighters were able to contain the flames to a corner of the shop. It took nearly 30 minutes to completely extinguish the flames.
Firefighters will remain on scene as a fire watch until midnight just in case the charred embers rekindle.
There were no injuries.
The fire did not damage any of the vehicles under repair in the shop. The damage estimate is $20,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.