SEATTLE — Eight used cars were destroyed by fire Monday morning in a secured Lake City lot. The Northeast 137th Street property is owned by local business SNS Auto.
Eyewitnesses said they were startled by the sound of strange popping noises around 5 a.m. Lashawna Groves lives across the street. She was concerned the fire would turn into an explosion once it reached a gas tank.
“We were worried some of the cars on the street were going to catch on fire if the department didn’t get there soon,” said Groves. “It’s scary this, it’s right next to my house.”
She estimates it took between 15 and 30 minutes for Seattle Fire to arrive.
Officials with the Seattle Fire Department report there were no injuries or damage to nearby property. They are investigating the cause of the fire.
Halfway around the world, the owner of SNS Auto was enjoying a family vacation in Lebanon when they learned of the destruction. The owner’s daughter Sabrina Ghazal shared her frustration via Zoom with us.
“It’s shocking,” said Ghazal. “It’s a small business. We’re not Ford or Chevrolet. Literally, my dad is here supporting us.”
According to Ghazal and her father, the lot has been targeted by criminals before. The family said they’ve reported this to Seattle Police.
“They take the whole car, catalytic converters. They’ll take gas from the car tanks,” said Ghazal. “This by far has been the worst thing we’ve seen.”
Based on what she’s seen so far, Ghazal estimates there could be $150,000 worth of damage.
“There’s only so much insurance might be able to do,” said Ghazal. “So, that’s a big loss.”
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