‘Really Hard to Process’ Colorado Brush Fire Destroys Nearly 150 Classic Cars at Restoration Shop
Almost 150 classic cars were destroyed in a brush fire that caused nearly $2 million in property damage, including the cars at a Colorado restoration shop. Ten acres were destroyed by the enormous fire. It also caused the shutdown of a nearby highway.
Jason Rol, the owner of car restoration company Rol Race Motorsports, said 148 vehicles on his lot were burned by the fire. More than 100 of the vehicles were older model BMWs.
“It’s been really hard to come here this morning and kind of put eyes on it with a clear head, because last night was crazy. It was really hard to process,” Rol told 9 News.
The owner of the restoration shop tried to halt the fire, but was unsuccessful
“I haven’t even gone through and figured out who exactly I have to notify yet. A lot of the cars, as you can tell, are hard to recognize now,” Rol added.
According to Rol, he and his brother attempted to use a water hose to prevent the flames from spreading into their parking lot, but the situation soon became too severe.
“My brother is turning the faucet on while I’m spraying what I thought I could possibly quell down,” Rol said. “But I was getting blasted with smoke and debris, and it was very hard to breathe.”
The local fire chief discussed the blaze
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Thornton Fire Chief Steve Kelley believes it began near Pinnacle High School. Wind gusts reported to be up to 50 mph only fanned the flames.
“We faced red flag conditions with significant and extremely dry conditions,” Kelley said during a Wednesday news conference.
Kelley said between 100 and 150 firefighters from various agencies worked to put out the blaze. While fighting the fire, five firefighters suffered injuries. After evaluation, each of them is presently at home.
