RivCo Auto Repair Shop Blaze Sparks Over $30K In Damages

RIVERSIDE, CA — A fire that erupted inside a Riverside auto repair shop burned a vehicle mounted on a hydraulic lift and caused damage to the business, but no one was injured, officials said Wednesday.

The blaze was reported about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday at 7304 Indiana Ave., near Washington Street, according to the Riverside Fire Department.

Three engine crews and a truck company, numbering more than a dozen personnel, were sent to the location and encountered "smoke coming from the large commercial building."

"On entry, they found a vehicle on fire, burning while up on a lift," Battalion Chief Garrett Coryell said.

He said a fire suppression sprinkler system had activated and was preventing the flames from spreading beyond the repair station.

Firefighters knocked down the blaze within 20 minutes.

"The damage was estimated at $30,000 to the vehicle and building," Coryell said.

Overheated equipment attached to the lift was ultimately identified as the source of the fire.