Junk Yard Owner Suspects Arsonist

CANTON, MI – A stubborn junk yard fire that burned for several hours on New Year’s Eve may have been set by an arsonist, E&M Auto Parts owner Brian Johnson said.

“I’m pretty well sure somebody set it,” Johnson told The Canton Observer.

The salvage yard, located on Yost Road near Van Born and Morton Taylor, contains about 1,000 cars that were stacked four deep. Johnson said security cameras showed nothing amiss at 1:57 a.m. Thursday, then flames erupted a minute later.

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Chevrolet Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds and other vehicles with hard-to-find parts were among 35 vehicles destroyed in the fire, which burned for five hours. Firefighters remained on the scene for several more hours extinguishing hot spots.

About 1,000 cars total are stored at the 8-acre salvage yard that has been in business since 1955.

The fire spread from one vehicle to another, Stoecklein said.

“Once one interior catches fire,” he said, “it just spreads.”

Many of the vehicles stored at the salvage yard contained flammable liquids, and firefighters’ efforts were complicated by the lack of a water source, according to WWJ Radio. Firefighters from Canton, Sumpter, Van Buren, Superior and Pittsfield townships all brought tankers to the scene.

There were no injuries.