Firefighters battled a second-alarm blaze at a used car dealership in Martinez this morning, according to fire officials.
At about 3:16 a.m. Contra Costa County fire officials received a report of a fire at the dealership near the intersection of Peach Street and Pacheco Boulevard, a fire dispatcher said.
Witnesses said flames were shooting 30 feet in the air when fire crews arrived.
The blaze was brought under control by 4 a.m.
In all eight vehicles were damaged. Two structures on the property appear to be a total loss. They were an apartment and the car business office.
Firefighters said a pot left on the stove caused the blaze.
The man who lives in the apartment said he was cooking and left to return a friend's dog. When he returned, the unit was on fire.
Local
"I went out the back door, by the time I walked up this way. I saw the plume of smoke and knew there was going to be a fire," Suzanne Harman said.
Firefighters reported that live electrical wires at the scene of the blaze made fighting the fire particularly difficult, according to fire officials.
No injuries were reported, fire officials said.
The owner of the property said he just bought it a year ago and renovated it.
Damage estimates are $175,000.
