Fire at Santa Rosa homeless camp spreads to nearby auto body shop
The fire erupted before
Firefighters made their way into the building, where cars, several tools and other equipment were burning inside the garage, the department said.
A search of the auto body shop determined no one was inside the closed business, and firefighters contained the blaze in about 30 minutes.
The garage sustained smoke, heat and fire damage, and the shop's office also had smoke damage.
"It's emotional. Just head-spinning," Howard, 57, said. "I don't know what to do."
He spent the day calling his customers and insurance companies to notify them about the fire. At least four cars he and his employees had been working on were destroyed.
While the fire originated from the small homeless camp, it's unclear what sparked it, said Assistant Fire Marshal
Many of Howard's friends and people in the racing community who heard about the fire came by his shop Thursday to offer him help and support, which he said he was really grateful for.
But he isn't sure how long it will take him to reopen, and he said he's worried about his seven employees until then.
He's worked with many of them for 30 years, and he himself has worked there since 1979, when he started out as a car washer while he was in high school.
"You never really recover from something like this. It's just -- it's impossible," he said.
"This is all I have -- the shop."
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