An armored car caught fire inside a Brink's Inc. warehouse northwest of downtown Modesto on Saturday.
A column of smoke billowed into the cloudy sky as Modesto Regional Fire Authority crews arrived at the warehouse in the 700 block of Kearney Avenue about 5:30 p.m.
Firefighters had to use power tools to cut through a metal door to reach the vehicle, which was fully involved with smoke and flames, according to Battalion Chief Jim Gunn. Other crews went to the top of the building to cut holes in the roof for ventilation.
The fire was contained to the armored truck and was extinguished in less than 15 minutes, Gunn said. No one was inside the warehouse when fire crews arrived.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious, Gunn said.
The Ceres Fire Department and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District were training with the Modesto Regional Fire Authority at the Regional Fire Training Center near Carpenter Road and Blue Gum Avenue when the fire started, so the agencies went to the scene to assist.
"It's better to turn them around than ask for them when it's too late," Gunn said.
Copyright 2012 - The Modesto Bee, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
