*Original story published at 10:58 a.m. Updated at 4:58 p.m. to add comments from Jenkins Auto Group.
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Three vehicles at an auto body shop burned up early Tuesday morning.
Callers to our sister radio station 93.7 K-Country alerted us to the early morning fire at Jenkins Collision Center.
Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) responded to the business which is located at 1420 SW 12th St. around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
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On scene, OFR says crews encountered a large column of smoke and flames coming from three vehicles parked side by side behind a locked fence.
They say they had to cut the lock on the fence to get in and start fighting the fire.
Once the fire was under control, the fire department says they used foam to douse remaining hotspots and cool the affected area to prevent rekindling.
OFR says the fire was confined to the three vehicles, but a fourth vehicle sustained paint damage due to heat exposure.
352today spoke with Maria Patino, director of customer and community relations for Jenkins Auto Group. She says the fire is a result of vandalism and that law enforcement is investigating the case. All the auto dealer’s operations were open for business on Tuesday.