Auto repair shop catches fire in North County

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Escondido firefighters responded to a blaze at an abandoned auto repair shop and gas station Thursday morning, FOX 5/KUSI confirmed at the scene.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. at 728 N Escondido Blvd., which is located near near Mission Avenue. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that part of the building was engulfed in flames. The inferno was seen shooting from the roof.

Escondido’s fire chief said the blaze started in an area that is vacant, which he explained was beneficial in allowing crews to gain control of the fire.

“Most of our trucks have aerial master-stream capabilities, so we pump them with water and then they are able to flow a very large volume of water from the top and that’s really our advantage on these big defensive fires,” said the fire chief. “Because they can flow 1,000 to 1,500 gpm (gallons per minute) to try to protect.”

Roughly four hours after the fire started, crews reported around 6 a.m. that the blaze was in control.

Structural engineers were called to the scene to assess the state of the building and determine whether or not it’s safe to go inside. Once that is determine, fire investigators will begin probing the origins of the fire and what may have started it.

The fire chief said there were several homeless people in the area at the time but there have been no reported injuries in connection to this incident. Additionally, none of the surrounding buildings were damaged.

The busy commercial area where the fire ignited will remain closed until further notice as an investigation and clean up efforts take place.

Vista, San Marcos, Rancho Santa Fe and Carlsbad fire departments all assisted with the response.

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