Fire Breaks Out At Panama City Auto Body Shop

The fire started around 10:00 am Tuesday morning and appears to be in Rege Hellett's Auto Body Shop.

When Panama City firefighters arrived on the scene, the entire structure was engulfed in flames. The building was under demolition, storing large quantities of car paint.

The paint accelerated the fire, causing smoke and flames to burst from the structure. Fire department officials said they were able to quickly get the fire under control. Panama City police were also on site helping to direct traffic in the area.

"The vast majority of the fire is out. The building next to this one was saved, other than the very minor damages to it. This building appears to be unoccupied, so we're not exactly sure what happened here, but that's going to be the next part of where we're at today, the investigation, once everything is put out," Panama City Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerome Fleeman said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
No injuries have been reported at this time.