More than 100 vehicles burn in early morning junkyard fire in Spotsylvania County

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - More than 100 vehicles caught fire early Monday during a junkyard blaze in Spotsylvania County, authorities said.

What we know:

Firefighters spent hours battling the massive fire as dense piles of vehicle debris and high temperatures complicated containment efforts. 

The fire was reported around 4 a.m. in the 9000 block of Patriot Highway. When crews arrived, they began applying water immediately, but the flames continued to spread to additional vehicles. Officials estimate more than 100 vehicles were involved.

"I woke up this morning, I kept hearing a pop... went out on the balcony, and all I see is big billows of smoke, flames shooting up over the townhouses, over the trees," said area resident Rhonda Martin, who captured footage of the fire from her fourth-story apartment balcony roughly half a mile away.

The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.

Damage and emergency response

More than 100 junked and crushed cars, many of which were stacked directly on top of one another, continually caught fire, creating significant obstacles for emergency responders. Aerial footage from the SkyFox drone revealed extensive damage throughout the facility.

According to fire officials, the way the junkyard was organized and the heat were major factors that made fighting the fire especially challenging. 

Multiple agencies responded to manage the emergency and assess the environmental impact.

Nearly a dozen Spotsylvania fire trucks were dispatched to the scene. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management responded to address concerns about local air quality and potential chemical runoff. The State Fire Marshall's Office also arrived early in the morning to examine the scene. 

Officials noted that sifting through the dense layers of burnt debris to determine the origin of the fire will take considerable time, and an exact cause may be difficult to pinpoint. 

Neighbors noted there were no recent storms or lightning strikes in the area prior to the outbreak.

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