More than 20 cars were damaged when fire swept through a carport in San Jose, California, early on Friday morning, with investigators examining how the blaze began.
Crews were called to the 200 block of Shadow Run Drive at about 2am after a report of a vehicle fire. On arrival, firefighters found the carport ablaze and flames spreading among the parked vehicles.
The fire was brought under control in roughly an hour. The carport was destroyed and vehicles suffered varying degrees of damage, but no one was injured.
Officials said the flames did not spread to nearby buildings, meaning residents did not need to be evacuated or displaced. Nothing other than the carport and vehicles was reported to have been damaged.
San Jose carport fire under investigation
The cause of the San Jose carport fire remains unknown. The fire department’s arson unit is investigating the origin of the blaze, including whether it was deliberately started.
Some residents reported hearing several loud explosions as the fire spread. Fire officials said vehicles on the opposite side of a fence were also damaged by heat, although the destruction remained concentrated in the carport areas between two residential complexes.
The department also said none of the electric vehicles damaged in the fire was close to the suspected ignition area. No electric vehicles were being charged and there were no charging stations at the scene.
The incident comes after a series of vehicle fires in San Jose earlier in 2026, when nine cars were damaged at five locations near Highway 87 and West San Carlos Street. Firefighters suspected arson in that episode, but have given no indication that it is connected to Friday’s carport fire.
