Grand Prairie firefighters battle parking lot blaze that burned at least 30 vehicles | Image by Grand Prairie Fire Department/Facebook
A massive vehicle fire in Grand Prairie sent a thick column of black smoke into the sky Sunday afternoon as firefighters worked to contain flames that engulfed at least 30 vehicles in a commercial parking lot.
The Grand Prairie Fire Department was dispatched at approximately 3:48 p.m. to the 1200 block of East Avenue J after the incident was initially reported as a grass fire.
When crews arrived, they found at least 30 vehicles burning and heavy smoke throughout the area. Fire officials upgraded the response and brought in additional units because of the intense heat.
Fire Contained to Parking Lot
Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the parking lot and protect nearby buildings.
The parking lot was associated with a commercial warehouse in the area. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from surrounding parts of North Texas, including areas near Six Flags Over Texas in neighboring Arlington.
Officials clarified that the burning vehicles were not located on the Six Flags property.
Grand Prairie Battalion Chief Jeremy Ashcroft said the primary concern was preventing the flames from spreading to nearby structures.
“Cars on fire will make a lot of noises, exploding within the units themselves,” Ashcroft said, per NBC5 DFW. “Our biggest concern was the exposure to the buildings nearby, but we were able to contain it to the parking lot.”
People in the area reported hearing what sounded like explosions as the fire intensified. Fire officials said the noises could have been caused by vehicles and their components being exposed to the intense heat.
Possible Transformer Issue Reported
A possible transformer or power-line problem was also reported in connection with the fire.
Some residents in the area reported power outages, and Oncor was called to address a power line that fire officials said had been affected by the heat from the blaze.
However, officials had not determined that the transformer issue caused the vehicle fire. The cause remained under investigation.
No Injuries Reported
No injuries were reported in connection with the fire.
Firefighters remained at the scene to extinguish remaining flames and address hotspots after the main fire had been contained. Additional crews were brought in because of the high temperatures and the need to rotate firefighters for rehabilitation.
Officials said nearby structures appeared to have avoided damage, although firefighters continued checking the surrounding buildings.
The investigation into what caused the fire was expected to continue.