On Saturday, members of the Tewksbury Fire Department responded to a commercial garage structure fire that was quickly upgraded to a three-alarm response, prompting mutual aid to the scene.
Crews were dispatched around 9:30 a.m. to 464 Woburn Street to a commercial garage, home to multiple autobody shops.
Upon arrival, crews faced heavy fire from two ends of the garage unit. They immediately began to attack the fire but quickly struck a third-alarm for additional units for assistance.
According to the owner of Sullivan's Auto Parts, he heard an explosion in the bay next to him.
Crews were able to contain the damage, (smoke, fire, and water) to 5 of the 14 bays. Crews battled the fires for 2 hours before finally extinguishing them until 11:30 a.m.
However, at least two businesses, including Sullivan's Auto Parts, are total losses.
According to Tewksbury Fire, three vehicles were destroyed, and several other cars were damaged.
"I just really hope that they all get to rebuild. That's their livelihood over there, and it's tragic at this time of year," explained Suzanne Cipollo, who takes her car to a mechanic to an auto body shop affected.
One worker suffered minor injuries, they were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and then released.
Fire crews remained on scene until 2 p.m. to monitor hot spots.
Tewksbury Fire is currently investigating the cause of the fire.