A predawn fire tore through an auto wrecking yard on Crows Landing Road in Modesto, engulfing rows of stored vehicles and destroying roughly 100 cars before firefighters could wrestle it under control. Crews moved quickly to keep the flames from reaching nearby mobile homes and businesses, and officials reported no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Modesto Fire Department said crews were dispatched at 3:38 a.m. to the 500 block of Crows Landing Road and upgraded the call to a commercial-structure response while units were on the way, according to CBS Sacramento. When firefighters arrived, they found the yard already engulfed in flames with about 100 vehicles burning, and immediately focused on protecting the nearby mobile homes and neighboring businesses. CBS reported that crews had the blaze under control in roughly 80 minutes and noted that the department credited its own photos of the scene; officials said the origin of the fire remains under investigation.
Area Has A History Of Yard Fires
The 500 block of Crows Landing Road has seen this kind of chaos before. The same stretch was hit by similar wrecking yard blazes in the past, including a 2019 fire that burned dozens of vehicles and required a multi-department response, The Modesto Bee reported. Those earlier incidents stirred up concern among neighbors about stacked vehicles and flammable automotive materials sitting so close to residential properties. The repeat performances have put a spotlight on how vehicle storage lots are sited and managed along this industrial corridor.
Investigation And Response
Officials are asking anyone with video or eyewitness information to contact the Modesto Fire Department as investigators work to determine what sparked the blaze, CBS Sacramento reported. Photographs credited to the department show charred stacks of vehicles and heavy damage throughout the yard. Authorities have not released an estimate of the property loss and said crews will remain at the scene to check for lingering hot spots.
