GAITHERSBURG, Md. — A Gaithersburg automotive shop called Diamond Auto Clinic was destroyed in a fire Saturday evening.
Pete Piringer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, tweeted that about 85 firefighters responded to the fire which started at around 6:20 p.m. in the Olde Towne Gaithersburg area.
When firefighters first arrived on scene at East Diamond Avenue, Piringer tweeted that they found a vehicle on fire in the repair bay. Piringer tweeted that the heavy fire conditions caused the roof building to collapse.
According to Piringer, most of the fire was out within 25 minutes. People inside neighboring buildings evacuated amid the flames, but, Piringer said, other businesses close to Diamond Auto Clinic were not damaged.
Piringer wrote on Twitter that just before the fire, a person in the building was closing for the night. They were turning off the lights, when — according to Piringer — they heard a "pop" and "saw fire."
Fire officials say no one was reported injured, but Diamond Auto Clinic was totally destroyed. The fire caused $1.5 million worth of damages, $1 million worth of damage to building and $500,000 to its contents.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Piringer.