Auto body shop damaged in 3-alarm Arlington fire

"Now we will have to restart again," Ansar Lakhani said after flames gutted First Texas Auto Sales and Repair on Monday night.

The cause of a fire that spread to three alarms and led to a temporary suspension of rail service in Arlington remains under investigation, according to the Arlington Fire Department.

Fire crews were called to the 900 block of West Division Street just after 10:30 p.m. on Monday.

Upon arrival, crews encountered an auto body business, with multiple car repair bays, in flames.

The fire spread to include a power pole, which affected electricity service for nearby businesses.

Muhammad Aqeel, owner of First Texas Auto Sales and Repair, said he received a call from one of his employees late Monday that the business was burning.

Aqeel spent much of Tuesday surveying the extensive damage with his brother, Ansar Lakhani, and the ten full-time employees he says now face uncertainty during the holidays.

"We can rebuild," Aqeel said. "But our employees is the most important. They have families, you know.”

“Because of this fire, we cannot do any job here and we have to find some alternative as soon as possible," Lakhani added.