Approximately $2.1 million worth of vehicles have been destroyed or damaged at a CarMax parking lot in Bakersfield, California due to a local grass fire.
23ABC reports that a blaze started at around 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon near the CarMax lot. Investigations are still ongoing to determine what triggered the fire but witnesses report that a semi-truck traveling north of Taft Highway was dragging something behind it causing sparks to shoot up and over to grass on the side of the roadway.
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The fire spread for at least 20 acres before reaching the CarMax parking lot where the inferno intensified and destroyed no less than 26 vehicles. It is reported that a further 60 vehicles were partially damaged by the fire with early estimates indicating that the total damage could be around $2.1 million.
Dozens of vehicles reportedly damaged by flames after grass fire spreads to a car dealership lot in Bakersfield, California.
No injuries reported. https://t.co/1uwNtfqEq7 pic.twitter.com/bulhFVsW02
— ABC News (@ABC) June 25, 2019
Footage from the scene reveals that a number of different vehicles were damaged in the inferno, including at least one Kia Stinger and a Chevrolet Colorado. Fortunately, CarMax says that no one was injured when the cars in its lot were burning.
“At CarMax, the safety of our associates and customers is our top priority. We have evacuated and closed our Bakersfield store for their safety. We’re grateful for local emergency teams who have responded to this event. We continue to assess the damage,” the company said.
The Bakersfield Fire Department and Kern County Fire were eventually able to extinguish the fire before it could wreak any more havoc through the CarMax lot.