TACOMA — A fire that tore through an auto shop in Tacoma on Wednesday started when sparks ignited fuel that employees were trying to remove from gas tanks, fire officials said Thursday.
The preliminary cause of the fire at In Motion Auto LLC has been listed as accidental, said Tacoma Fire Department spokesman Joe Meinecke. The business describes itself on social media as a “used auto parts shop focused on latest model European performance cars.”
Once started, the fire spread quickly to nearby flammable materials, Meinecke said. Smoke billowed across the southern part of the city.
Significant portions of the building’s roof collapsed, and a number of vehicles were damaged in the shop in the 4800 block of South Adams Street. An exact dollar amount for damages has yet to be determined, Meinecke said.
Fire crews were dispatched to the building just before 2 p.m. and had it mostly under control about two hours later.
