Overnight fire destroys vehicles, damages central Fresno tire shop

Fire tore through a tire and auto body shop near Belmont and Second in central Fresno, destroying three vehicles and leaving the business with damage that could slow repairs well beyond the morning cleanup.

Firefighters responded shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, to the 3200 block of East Belmont Avenue after multiple reports of a building fire. Crews found one vehicle burning in a back lot behind the shop, and flames quickly spread to other cars parked outside the business.

The fire was made more dangerous when fuel tanks ruptured and spilled gasoline onto the ground, adding to the blaze and increasing the amount of damage around the lot. The building itself also suffered fire damage, though one later report described the business damage as minor compared with the loss of the vehicles. Investigators had not determined what started the fire.

The most alarming detail was that people were sleeping inside the building when the flames broke out. No injuries were reported, and no one was awake when the fire began, but the overnight timing left little margin for error at a business filled with vehicles, fuel and repair equipment.

For a small Fresno shop, losing three vehicles is more than a routine cleanup. Even a fire that does not heavily damage the structure can put a stop to work, delay repairs for customers and strain a business that depends on keeping cars moving and bays open. In a city where many workers rely on their vehicles to get to shifts, school runs and service calls, every day a shop stays partially out of commission can ripple far beyond the lot on East Belmont Avenue.

The fire adds another tense moment for central Fresno, where commercial corridors and nearby neighborhoods have been watching recent blazes closely. For now, the shop is left sorting through the cost of the damage while firefighters and investigators continue to look for the cause.