DENTON COUNTY, Texas — The Denton County Fire Marshal's office Tuesday determined a fire that burned nearly 60 vehicles at an automobile auction facility started accidentally.
Investigators tell WFAA they obtained video that shows the fire starting in one car, near its battery. Wind pushed those flames toward other vehicles, packed tightly together.
Authorities estimate 58 cars burned in the Christmas Eve fire.
"When the firefighters got done they were high-fiving, having a good time," All American Towing and Recovery owner Michael Phillips said. "You could tell they felt like they'd accomplished something and, looking at it, they did a heck of a job."
The incident commander called Phillips Sunday to help move cars away from the jumping flames. He and his crew arrived with almost ten tow trucks, but elected to use the auction facility's construction forklifts to separate cars from those that were burning.
"You had firemen attacking it from every angle," Phillips said. "Our job was to try and create a fire break."
"As these firemen are weaving in and out of cars, pulling line and spraying the cars down, you've got gas tanks popping," Phillips added. "Those guys are right in there with it. The whole time, it was making us a nervous wreck - like, you're right there and if this car's tank explodes, it could've been really bad."
No one was injured in the 90-minute fight. Most of the burned cars were already damaged, Phillips said.
IAA Holdings owns the facility, located in the 3700 block of McPherson Drive in Justin, about a mile away from Texas Motor Speedway. The company auctions low-value and totaled vehicles for salvage.
Such cars are often scrapped for parts or rebuilt and shipped for use in other countries.
Though it acknowledged the incident in a brief statement Tuesday, IAA Holdings did not answer WFAA's questions. It's still not clear whether any of the burned cars had already been sold at auction or if the vehicles were insured.
“We are aware of the fire at our IAA Fort Worth North location," a spokesperson wrote. "We are thankful that no one was injured and are currently working with local authorities.”
The fire marshal said crews, including All American Towing and Recovery, responded to a similar fire at the same facility in 2019. His office also ruled that smaller incident an accident.
"It is important that these wrecked vehicles have the battery disconnected and/or removed before storing," Denton County fire marshal Brad Sebastian said in a text to WFAA. "Due to the extensive damage, the investigator could not determine the connection or disconnection of the battery, although this would be a possible ignition point."
Crews from the Flower Mound Fire Department, the Justin Volunteer Fire Department, the Roanoke Fire Department, the Tarrant County Emergency Services District and the City of Denton Fire Department also responded to the scene, covering the flanks of the fire, Denton County Emergency Services District 1 said.
Authorities initially responded at 1:32 a.m. to a report of a suspected grassfire. While travelling on I-35W to the scene, first responders said they spotted a large column of smoke and flames. The fire was officially declared out at 3:09 a.m., officials said.
Phillips's team regularly trains with first responders for such events. All American Towing and Recovery does not accept compensation for their work with first responders.
"It does make you come home and be more thankful for each day," Phillips said.
