RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Fire crews are working to figure out what caused several cars to catch fire overnight at Motley’s Richmond Auto Auction.
Authorities were called to business on Deepwater Terminal Road shortly after 3 a.m. Friday.
The investigator on scene said nine cars were totally destroyed, and a tenth car had smoke damage. This all happened in a parking lot behind the building.
Friday morning, investigators reviewed surveillance video and did not see anyone on the premises or anything suspicious, leaving investigators to believe the fire may have been accidental; perhaps a mechanical or electrical issue.
“Still no exact cause at this point of time,” says Lt. Andre Roberts, an investigator with the Richmond Fire Department. “You have a domino effect. You have one vehicle starts and then you have 8 other vehicles that are unfortunately in the wrong place, wrong time,” says Lt. Roberts.
The chief operating officer and general manager, Dick Menendez, told 8News that the cars were valued at approximately $25,000. Some of the cars that were completely destroyed belonged to small business owners and they were scheduled to be sold at auction Friday morning. Motley’s Richmond Auto Auction says all the cars were insured and the small business owners will receive a check for the value of their damaged vehicles.
“I am just grateful, because in this business, you don’t always win,” says Calvin Davis who owns Tyler Automotive Sales and who also lost two cars in the fire. “I’ve always been taken care of over here and I don’t have any concerns and I really feel like this is an isolated incident.”
As investigators continue to investigate the cause of the fire, they will also review the list of damaged cars to see if any was part of a recall. Investigators say this could help shed some light on how the fire started.
