SAN ANTONIO – At least five cars and one building were destroyed in a fire at a Northwest Side used car lot, according to San Antonio firefighters.
The fire broke out shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday in the 7900 block of Bandera Road near Mainland Drive.
"The first units responding reported they could see heavy smoke as they were coming down Bandera," said San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward. "So when we arrived on scene, the building was already fully involved."
Woodward said at first that two cars were destroyed. A battalion chief later said the number of destroyed cars had increased to five.
Even the sign outside the business burned before firefighters arrived, so Woodward was not able to determine the name of the car lot right away.
The owner of a nearby business told KSAT 12 News that it was called Rommel's car lot, which didn't appear to be opened when the fire broke out.
"We don't have any reports of injuries. No firefighters injured. No civilians injured," Woodward said.
Firefighters were concerned for a while that the fire might spread to businesses close to the car lot.
They called for a second alarm, which brought nearly two dozen fire units to the scene.
The fire was so intense that firefighters had to keep their distance.
"At that point, we went defensive," Woodward said. "We did not enter the building, obviously."
They also didn't determine the cause of the fire right away.
Arson investigators were called out to search through the ashes for answers.