An early morning fire inside a tire shop in Menifee prompted an investigation Monday, leaving behind a trail of damage and displacing five people.
The blaze was reported at around 2 a.m. Monday as Calfire received a call about a car on fire along Highway 74 and 2nd Street.
But the flames, fueled by a large amount of tires inside the store, soon became out of control. Neighbors said the inferno could be seen miles away.
“You could see the flames. They were 20 feet high. It was bad,” said Miguel Villavicencio, who lives in the area.
Flames became dangerously close to Villavicencio’s family restaurant at one point. Luckily, it only suffered water and smoke damage, he said.
Fire officials said 13 fire engines and more than 60 firefighters were put to the task of extinguishing the blaze.
“The fire was substantial for the small area. It was packed tight,” CalFire Battalion Chief Mike Ballinger said. “Firefighters were able to get in there and move around to make sure the fire was contained.”
But one RV was destroyed while two others were damaged. Another property of three families was also damaged in the fire.
The owner of the tire shop did not say how many cars were serviced inside the shop when the fire broke out.
No one was injured in the fire.