Cleveland car dealership to be demolished after arson; investigators seek public's help
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Cleveland arson investigators are asking for the public's help solving a catastrophic fire that occurred just after midnight on Dec. 9 at West 48th and Lorain Avenue in the city.
On Monday, Cleveland Division of Fire Public Information Officer Lt. Mike Norman released new video and pictures of a vehicle that they are looking for in connection with the fire.
'There is a silver 2013 Suburban. That's a vehicle of interest. We want to find out where that vehicle is and possibly the owner of that vehicle,' said Norman.
The massive and malicious blaze started inside the family business Byright Auto Sales and quickly grew out of control.
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Prized and vintage classic vehicles from the 60s and 70s fueled the inferno.
'There was a lot of fire in the explosions going on inside. This building (was) a dangerous fire to fight,' said Norman. 'We had 19 units, almost 60 firefighters, we worked throughout the night, we had five engine companies, four ladder companies, two rescue squads.'
At one point, it looked like the fire was going to also consume a neighboring apartment building, but fortunately a firewall stopped it.
However, the building was a total loss with early damage estimates in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On Monday, Norman returned to the scene as the city prepared to demolish the building Tuesday.
'You can see how compromised the building is,' he said. 'It's a collapse hazard. It's very dangerous.'
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They're hoping someone will see the video and pictures of the silver Suburban and come forward.
'Arson is a threat to both the civilian population and also to the firefighters,' he said.
A reward of $7,500 is being offered in the case by Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can submit information online or by calling 216-252-7463. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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