Massive fire in Douglasville destroys auto and tire shops on Highway 5

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Part of Highway 5 in Douglasville was shut down due to a fire that spread across several businesses on Sunday.

"We had two businesses that actually caught [fire], but there's a third one that got involved. We have our whole entire fleet out here working this fire," Douglas County Fire Chief Miles Allen told FOX 5.

Viewers sent in photos and videos around the area showing large plumes of black smoke billowing out of Collins Auto Tech and a neighboring tire shop.

"We heard a little explosion, or whatever, and then everything just caught on fire," said witness Lavion Foscer. "Black smoke, like a nuclear bomb almost. I ain't gonna lie to you, it was serious. The smoke went up by like 50 feet."

"We were there when we saw fire coming out of the mid-section of the building. After, we saw smoke coming out of one side, then after, we saw the smoke. [When] we checked the other two sides that we control, we realized it's coming from the middle building, so we tried to get in there, but it was closed," said Mark Collins, owner of Collins Auto Tech and Good Ride Auto Sales. "We called the fire department."

FOX 5 reported from the scene as Douglas County Fire worked to put out the fire just before 7 p.m.

The portion of the highway in front of the businesses was shut down. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Chief Allen confirmed there were no injuries.