Nearly 100 cars destroyed by fire at DeKalb County towing business

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - An early morning fire on Friday engulfed an impound lot on Rogers Lake Road in Lithonia, damaging an estimated 97 vehicles. 

The fire, which broke out near a railway line, presented unique challenges for firefighters who worked to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby rail cars and liquid asphalt.

The DeKalb County fire chief and the impound lot's owner believe a hybrid or electric vehicle may have sparked the blaze, though fire investigators have yet to confirm the cause. The presence of gasoline, hybrid, and electric vehicles complicated firefighting efforts, as each required different extinguishing methods.

"I saw on the cameras about 2 a.m. this morning, it looked like a little spark back there and by 4 o'clock on the cameras, it showed that it already had taken off tremendously," said Claudia Cason, Accurate Graphics owner.

Witnesses described the scene as overwhelming, with sounds of explosions and ricochets adding to the intensity of the blaze. "There was plenty of stuff blowing up," one witness shared, describing the noise as "scary" and "like rounds going off."

"That was my main concern is the safety of the guys working in the lot and our guys working across the road," said Cason.

Fire crews used significant amounts of water and worked for hours to control and ultimately extinguish the flames. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The owner of the impound lot noted that the vehicles were abandoned and already heavily damaged. Cleanup efforts are now underway as investigators continue examining the cause of the fire.