Oil retention tank at auto yard in South Bend catches fire
The fire happened at Paul's Auto Yard in the 3300 block of S. Main Street just after 9 a.m.
Firefighters were already en route when the emergency call came in.
“One of the firefighters notified me of the heavy smoke bloom down south of town, so we were actually en route before we were dispatched out here," said Chris Baker, the South Bend Fire Department Battalion Chief.
The building that caught fire was used to store fuel from cars that were brought in to be scrapped at the auto yard.
“There were some automobiles in there, gasoline and some oil that was burning off. Our companies got in and made a pretty aggressive attack on it," Baker said.
Firefighters got the fire under control within twenty minutes.
Employees reported seeing fuel on the ground just before the fire and firefighters believe a spark ignited the fuel. The employees were in the building at the time and evacuated safely.