Crews battle blaze at Phoenix moving and storage company

PHOENIX - Officials are calling a fire that erupted at a Phoenix moving and storage company Thursday evening an accident.

The fire, that started outside Ultimate Movers, also destroyed a machine shop next door, one that Nip Ngyen spent 14 years building up.

"I couldn't believe it ... just shock," Ngyen said while surveying the damage.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Scott Walker said crews were called to the scene near 31st Avenue and Indian School Road around 5:30 p.m. for the first alarm fire. It was later upgraded to a third alarm fire.

Video from Air 15 showed firefighters on the roof of the building battling flames as thick smoke poured into the sky.

It appeared crews had the fire under control until around 7:15 p.m., when according to Walker, the blaze began to spread again.

On Thursday, fire department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs said the fire started in pallets outside the moving company and once the fire got inside it was nearly impossible to stop.

"It was like a maze in there," he said.

A small church set up in a couple of offices in the complex were also destroyed.

Firefighters say no one was in the building and no injuries were reported.

Meantime, Ngyen says, "It will take a lot to recover back on my feet maybe a good year."

Jacobs said damage estimates could reach $10 million for all the businesses affected.

Anyone needing to file a claim with Ultimate Movers can do so beginning Monday on their website or by calling 623-551-0248.