MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Officials say five vehicles were destroyed in a fire at a Ford dealership in Marion County on Thursday.
Surveillance cameras at the Ford of Ocala dealership helped investigators preliminarily determine that the fire was accidental.
They believe the fire started between two cars brought in for service, one with a starter issue and the other for a recall.
After a recent series of arson investigations, Ocala police and firefighters were initially suspicious when they responded to the Ford dealership.
However in the surveillance video, no one is seen approaching the vehicles near the service garage. In the video, the tail lights of one of the cars flicker on, then a quick flash and smoke can be seen before the fire breaks out.
Investigators believe it could be related to a recent Ford Escape recall involving 2001 and 2002 models. The recall warns of a possible short in the anti-lock brake system that could lead to a fire.
“At this point we’re pretty comfortable it was an accident, pretty unfortunate,” said Sgt. Chas Maier with Ocala police.
The five destroyed cars were all at the dealership for service. Two other nearby vehicles were damaged.
Dealership general manager Steve Hollosi told WFTV the owners of the cars were given access to the fleet of loaner vehicles.
“We’ve asked the owners to notify their insurance companies. We’ve notified our insurance company and they will figure out what the chain of custody and liabilities are,” Hollosi said.
The damage is estimated to be between $40,000 and $60,000. Investigators say if the Ford Escape had been in someone’s garage, the outcome could have been much worse.
“It’s a lesson for all of us to take these recalls seriously and know something could actually happen if we get one in the mail,” said Sgt. Maier.