Fire department releases surveillance video showing moments North Hollywood auto shop goes up in flames

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - The Los Angeles Fire Department has determined what caused a massive blame at an auto body shop in North Hollywood. 

Surveillance video captured the exact moment the fire sparked. Video shows a cloud of smoke appear inside the building then the sparking of an apparent spontaneous combustion fire.

The fire department says rags with painting-related chemicals on then spontaneously combusted due to a chemical reaction.

“This is a sobering reminder to properly dispose of oily and chemical-soaked rags properly,” the department said in a statement. 

The fire broke out at a building near Lankershim Blvd. and Vanowen Street around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The address corresponds to a business named Auto Giant Supplies.

Once on scene firefighters found a 10,614-square-foot business engulfed in flames. They made their way into the building and cut holes in the roof to ventilate the fire, but as the fire continued to grow, crews were ordered off the roof and out of the building to assume a defensive posture said Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The blaze quickly extended to a nearby building and flames were pushing through the roof. Over 120 firefighters knocked down the blaze in three hours. Luckily, no one was injured. 
 

CNS contributed to this report