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Fire burns at St. Petersburg tire store

 
A photo shows fire damage at Auto and Tire Tech in Lealman on Wednesday.
A photo shows fire damage at Auto and Tire Tech in Lealman on Wednesday.
Published Jan. 29, 2014

A discarded cigarette started a fire at Auto and Tire Tech in Lealman Wednesday morning.

The fire was reported at 10:23 a.m. and was accelerated by petroleum products in the shop, a Lealman Fire District spokesperson said. Firefighters used specialized foam to combat the flames and brought the fire under control about 30 minutes.

One of the business owners, Safwat Shakshouk, was injured and treated at the scene, the spokesman said. The 66th Street North and 54th Avenue North intersection was briefly closed.

Neighbors reported tall flames and heavy smoke, but Carlos Toro, a manager at nearby Security Lock and Safe, said he didn't feel threatened two doors down.

"It's really isolated," Toro said.

He added that the entire area smelled like burned rubber.