Soon-to-be car dealership catches fire overnight in Merced

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A charred skeleton of a operation is each that's near connected the country of V and 16th successful Merced aft a occurrence tore done the gathering astir 3 Monday morning.

"First portion arrived connected country to find a afloat progressive 2500 quadrate ft wood-frame operation that was nether construction," City of Merced Fire Chief Casey Wilson explained.

Neighboring businesses accidental the operation was going to beryllium portion of a caller car dealership.

"It sucks," Abdallah Abdallah with Western Motors said. "Costs wealth and time."

Western Motors, close adjacent door, was lone minimally damaged.

"The flames conscionable got up determination to the banner," Abdallah explained. "If the occurrence section had taken longer, it could've gotten bigger."

Chief Wilson says crews got the blaze nether power successful 30 minutes.

He adds that this is the 2nd occurrence astatine this location.

"There was an abandoned gathering a fewer years agone that besides burned," Chief Wilson said. "Unfortunate due to the fact that the section developer and contractor were moving to revitalize this area."

This is conscionable 1 of galore fires successful the metropolis wrong the past year.

Over the past summer, a thrift store connected U and Main streets went up successful flames twice.

"It's heartbreaking to spot these fires successful our downtown community," Chief Wilson stated. "There's been a batch of effort from section contractors and developers to revitalize downtown."

The origin of Monday's blaze is nether investigation.

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