South Fort Myers business fire shuts down Crystal Drive in both directions

THE SEVEN-DAY FORECAST? COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. >> ROB, THANK BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE SKY AFTER A FIRE STARTED AT THIS AFTERNOON. YOU'RE TAKING A LO AT HERE. SO THE FIRE IT STARTED OFF SMALL, BUT THEN IT GREW INTO THIS MASSIVE FIRE THAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT HERE. REALLY BIG FLAMES THERE. THE FIRE HAPPENED HERE AT THE TIRES OWNERS ALONG CRYSTAL DRIVE IN SOUTH FORT MYERS. >> ABC SEVES SAMANTHA ROMERO IS THERE. SHE TALKED WITH A NEIGHBOR WHO JUMPED IN TO HELP SAVE LIVES. >> ALL RIGHT. MOVING CAR IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I MEAN, ONE 0ND, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE ASHRAF SMOKE AND THEN I TURN AROUND AGAIN AND IT WAS BLARING SMOKE AND THEN THERE'S FLAMES COMING AFTER THE SMOKE, A SMALL FIRE RAPIDLY GROWS INTO THE SCENE. ON YOUR SCREEN. >> IT HAPPENED AROUND 2.30, MONDAY AFTERNOON OUTSIDE OF THIS TIRE ZONE ALONG CRYSTAL DRIVE. THE BLACK SMOKE COULD BE SEEN FROM BLOCKS AWAY. TAYLOR SUMMARY WAS WORKING NEXT OR WHEN HE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME SMOKE COMING OFF THE TIRES WITHOUT HESITATION, HE SPRUNG INTO ACTION. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EVEN THINK I JUST WAS DOING. HE CALLED 9-1-1, BUT ALSO DID SOMETHING THAT PREVENTED THIS FIRE FROM GETTING MUCH WORSE. WE WENT AND GRABBED OUR PROPANE TANKS AND PUSHED HIM INSIDE AND >> HAD MOVED ALL OF OUR VEHICLES. AND THEN I RUSHED OVER NEXT DOOR TO THE OWNER AND ALLOWED HIM TO NOTIFY HIM THAT THE BUILDING WAS ON FIRE AND THE TIRES ON FIRE. HE WAS WORKING IN THE OFFICE SO HE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON. >> UNTIL I WENT IN THERE, HE SAYS HE'S ALSO PROTECTING THE CREMATORY BUSINESS, WHICH HANDLES LOVED ONES WAITING CREMATION ILE HIS QUICK THINKING MADE A DIFFERENCE. THE FIRE'S IMPACT IS FAR-REACHING. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, >> THE GUY WHO MANAGES AND RUNS THE SHOP IS A FAMILY MAN YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S SAD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOW HE'S THAT IS OUT OF WORK. >> SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM. SOUTH TRAIL FIRE SAYS NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDETERMINED. IT'S TRAGIC ALL THE WAY AROUND. CRYSTAL DRIVE WAS CLOSED FOR ABOUT 2

A two-alarm fire broke out at a tire business on Crystal Drive in south Fort Myers on Monday, forcing the road to close in both directions.According to the South Trail Fire Rescue District, crews were called to TireZone along Crystal Drive around 2:30 p.m.Taylor Samhouri, a crematory operator working next door, noticed smoke coming from the shop before large flames erupted."One second, it was just a little ash of smoke," Samhouri said. "Then I turned around again, and it was blaring smoke, and then there were flames coming after the smoke."Samhouri immediately called 911 and took action to prevent the fire from spreading further. He moved propane tanks, relocated vehicles and alerted the shop owner, who was unaware of the blaze."As soon as I realized how fast it was spreading, I just started doing. There wasn’t time to think," he said.The South Trail Fire Department confirmed no injuries were reported, but the fire left significant property damage. "I mean, the guy who manages and runs the shop is a family man. It's sad because, you know, now he's, he's out of work. So we don't know what's going to happen to him," Samhouri said. "The lady I just spoke with, they don't have insurance on the building, so that's a big problem."The fire district has not reported any injuries or the cause of the fire as of Monday afternoon. The cause of the fire was ruled undetermined."It’s tragic all the way around," Samhouri said. "I can say from what I saw it definitely looked like a spontaneous fire that just randomly happened."

A two-alarm fire broke out at a tire business on Crystal Drive in south Fort Myers on Monday, forcing the road to close in both directions.

According to the South Trail Fire Rescue District, crews were called to TireZone along Crystal Drive around 2:30 p.m.

Taylor Samhouri, a crematory operator working next door, noticed smoke coming from the shop before large flames erupted.

"One second, it was just a little ash of smoke," Samhouri said. "Then I turned around again, and it was blaring smoke, and then there were flames coming after the smoke."

Samhouri immediately called 911 and took action to prevent the fire from spreading further. He moved propane tanks, relocated vehicles and alerted the shop owner, who was unaware of the blaze.

"As soon as I realized how fast it was spreading, I just started doing. There wasn’t time to think," he said.

The South Trail Fire Department confirmed no injuries were reported, but the fire left significant property damage.

"I mean, the guy who manages and runs the shop is a family man. It's sad because, you know, now he's, he's out of work. So we don't know what's going to happen to him," Samhouri said. "The lady [owner of the building] I just spoke with, they don't have insurance on the building, so that's a big problem."

The fire district has not reported any injuries or the cause of the fire as of Monday afternoon. The cause of the fire was ruled undetermined.

"It’s tragic all the way around," Samhouri said. "I can say from what I saw it definitely looked like a spontaneous fire that just randomly happened."

South Fort Myers business fire shuts down Crystal Drive in both directions

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