45 cars damaged in Grand Prairie fire, officials say

A total of 45 cars were damaged in a fire in a commercial area of Grand Prairie in the record-breaking heat on Sunday, officials said. 

The fire happened in the parking lot off Avenue J. Officials say, thankfully, the flames did not spread to the buildings, or it could have been much worse.

The Grand Prairie Fire Department said the crews were called to the 1200 block of E. Avenue J around 3:45 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the back parking lot and noticed dozens of cars were involved.  

"They just saw some smoke and fire in the back. Once engine four arrived, they could see heavy smoke coming," said Jeremy Ashcraft, the Battalion Chief for the Grand Prairie Fire Department.

One of the businesses affected is Kerr Industries, which, according to the website, details cars for police departments. The other business is Links Laundry.

"We don't know where it started," said Ashcroft. "When we first got here, there was about 30 [cars] involved ... Firefighters were focused on containing the flames to prevent them from spreading to nearby warehouses."

With the fire occurring during record-breaking heat, extra units were called in.

"The main challenge was just the guys getting overworked," Ashcroft said. "But, they were able to get a quick knockdown on it."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the Grand Prairie Fire Department.