Aerial video shows the flames coming from Villareal Tire Shop.
"I was working on this side, and some kid started screaming that the shop caught on fire," says Omar Villareal, the manager at his dad's tire shop.
Villareal continues, "It was like a 30-, 40-foot flame, it was a lot of flames."
He says that, thankfully, the damage was limited to auto parts, but the cost of what was lost is estimated at over $30,000.
"We have a container that has new tires that caught on fire and a bunch of used ones that were outside too," explains Villareal.
Eusevio Limon lives in the apartment just feet away from that container.
He was at work near Pixley when he got the call about the fire and learned that flames were right next to where he lives and where his daughters were sleeping.
Limon says he could not get hold of them.
"Then the firefighters started knocking on all the doors, then the neighbor came running out and was like 'whoah'," says neighbor, Robert Garcia.
Thankfully, everyone made it out safely.
The Tulare Fire Department says its quick response and clean yards in the neighborhood helped keep the fire from spreading.
But officials say putting out a tire fire has its own set of challenges.
"Because a tire fire is very difficult to extinguish, as the tire continues to melt, it continues to produce thick black smoke, and it's very, very difficult. In addition, this location has overhead power lines, and so that also created a risk to firefighters," explains Fire Marshall for the City of Tulare, Ryan Leonardo.
The cause of this fire is still under investigation.
Tulare City Fire encourages people to keep dry brush and weeds down, but make sure that work is done during the morning or evening hours to avoid the heat of the day and prevent a possible fire.
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