On Sunday, October 30th, 2022, at 10:36 pm, the Turlock Fire Department was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire at 99 Cents Only Stores, 701 N Golden State Blvd, Turlock.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a gray Mercedes-Benz sedan fully involved.

Firefighters immediately began fire attack, however, took longer than usual to extinguish the fire due to the vehicle’s fuel tank rupturing and leaking.

The vehicle’s owner suffered minor burns while attempting to extinguish the fire prior to firefighters’ arrival, however, refused treatment or transport to the hospital.

The Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigations Unit and Turlock Police Department responded to the scene to investigate. The vehicle’s owner stated that he was on his way home from a car meet when he started to smell smoke. He immediately pulled into the parking lot of the business and the fire started shortly after. He stated that he had just purchased the vehicle about a week prior from a man near Las Vegas off of Facebook Marketplace and that this was just his second day driving it. He also stated that he did not have insurance yet.

The investigation remains on-going. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is encouraged to call the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigations Unit at 209-525-5537.