Multiple vehicles catch fire at Moraine salvage yard, causes large plume of smoke

A fire involving multiple cars in a salvage yard at a Moraine auto parts store resulted in a large cloud of smoke that could be seen for miles.

The fire was reported around 1:15 p.m. at Moraine Auto Parts & Service at 2833 Northlawn Ave.

“Workers were in the back part of the yard. They were just doing normal, everyday activities, cutting pieces off cars and stuff,” said Moraine Fire Department Fire Marshal Doug Hatcher. “One of them ignited and got out of control fairly quickly.”

The fire consisted mainly of junk vehicles with residual fluid, such as gasoline and oil, in some of them. Tires also resulted in a few small explosions, Hatcher added.

One of the obstacles in fighting the blaze was its location.

“It was tough for us to get to it because it was in the back part of the yard,” Hatcher said. “Once the crews got in there and got it surrounded they got it taken care of fairly quickly.”

It was not clear how many vehicles were involved in the fire and an estimate for damages was not available.

The fire resulted in a large cloud of smoke that could be seen as far south as Springboro on Interstate 75.

The dark plume happened on a day when an Air Quality Alert already was in effect issued by the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency because conditions were favorable for ground-level ozone, or smog.

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