VIDEO: Fire destroys used car dealership in Manatee County

SARASOTA (WWSB) - “As I looked up to the sky, I saw the huge black smoke and I was like holy crap,” said Brittany Burnham.

Burnham lives nearby and was walking her dogs, when she got video of a massive fire at a used car dealership and auto body shop on 33rd Street East near 63rd Avenue East in the Sarasota section of Manatee County.

“It was actually pretty terrifying because across the street there’s also electrical power lines and I was like gosh I hope it doesn’t get over there because it could be very traumatic,” said Burnham.

Firefighters got the call just after 3pm Monday for this two-alarm fire at Roadkill Auto. The blaze sent a black pillar of smoke into the air that was visible for miles around.

It would take the 10 fire units on scene about two hours to get this fire under control.

“The conditions were tough today, it was very hot outside," said Lt. Mike Questionate with Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue. "We had our access we were contending with all the smoke flowing towards our scene where all our engines were parked, so that gave us a little added issue to deal with.”

The fire destroyed the building and at least one boat and several cars that were inside, as well as an RV parked next to the garage. Two people were injured. One of them was taken to the hospital to be treated for burns.

A state fire marshal was on scene. He has yet to release the cause of this fire.

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