HOUSTON — A family is picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their auto repair business of 35 years, leaving behind twisted metal, ashes, and a mountain of uncertainty.

On Monday afternoon, flames tore through the commercial building housing BNW Auto Repair and a neighboring video store near I-45 and Gulf Bank. The fire caused an estimated $2 million in damage and destroyed 24 vehicles.

Houston Firefighters responded a little before 5 p.m. Monday to find heavy flames coming from the building. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with an ankle injury.

Video footage captured from KHOU’s Air 11 showed thick black smoke rising miles along the North Freeway, while a worker’s cellphone video recorded the fire roaring inside before the roof and walls collapsed.

Credit: BNW Auto S

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