Arson unit probes blaze
Businesses suffer damage
Aisha Khan wiped away tears as she watched fire crews douse hot spots Monday in what was left of her charred auto repair shop.
“I have no words,” Khan said. “I’m in big shock.”
By the time she arrived at the 5100 block of 47th Street N.E., the building that housed her business and three oth- ers was partially gutted. Windows were broken, store signs melted and siding hung loosely off the walls.
Fire crews were called to the industrial park about 1:45 a.m.
A Falconridge resident had spotted flames shooting into the night sky and called 911, said acting district chief Mike Crawford.
When crews arrived, they discovered the fire had engulfed the front of the building, which houses two autobody shops, a business selling stone products and a dairy store. They called a second alarm, bringing nearly 40 firefighters to the scene.
The roof had also been burned through, Crawford said, adding crews had to fight the blaze from the outside as the building appeared structurally unsound.
Half a dozen vehicles along the side of the building sustained serious fire damage.
No one was in the building at the time.
“It was about two hours until it was under control,” Crawford said of the fire.
Crews remained throughout the day to douse hot spots. City engineers will be inspect- ing the building.
Investigators are calling the fire suspicious due to the “unusual” amount of flames, Crawford said, adding the arson unit is investigating.
If the fire turns out to be criminal in nature, it wouldn’t be the first time Khan’s business was hit by culprits, she said.
In the five months her shop has been open, she said, it’s been broken into several times, despite being across from a police station.
“We have no idea why.”
Khan said she had insurance, but worries how she and her husband will be able to provide for their children with the loss of their business.
Abdul Ahmad, who owns and leases out three of the four bays in the six-year-old building, said he wasn’t aware of any problems.
Ahmad said it was “hurtful and disturbing” to see the seriously damaged structure.
The owners of a second auto repair business in the building were also distraught, adding it was their “dream” to open the store.
In between the two vehicle repair businesses, a store that sold granite, marble and quartz products was destroyed. And the dairy business in the back sustained “lots of damage,” according to the store owner.
Crawford said the front section of the complex sustained the most damage and will likely be torn down. Part of the building may be salvaged. A damage estimate had not been determined.