Racecar Shop Fire

WHEATLAND, IND (WTHI) - Firefighters in Steen Township in eastern Knox County are sorting out the details of a major fire in a barn that was also home to Marcus Motorsports.

Firefighters say at least 3 cars were destroyed in a fire that raced through a large metal barn around midnight.

The barn is owned by Bert Jones of Wheatland, IN.

A fire department spokesman said the blaze had a big head start and the presence of racing fuel made the battle even more difficult.

"It was fully involved when we got here," said Steen Township Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Blair McCarty. "Of course, with the possibility of explosives and everything, it was kind of hard, but we knocked it down as best we can as quick as we could."

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal's Office has been brought in to help look for a cause.

Authorities say a big storm had rolled through the area earlier in the evening, and they suspect lightning may have sparked the fire.