Explosions tore through a Birmingham car refit firm, destroying the vehicles inside and causing the roof to collapse yesterday.
Tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the Beetlemania business in Jameson Road, Nechells, after a fire broke out at midnight.
Flames blew up gas canisters and aerosols used to customise old VW Beetles in the warehouse, driving back 40 firefighters tackling the fire.
West Midlands Fire Service assistant divisional officer Arthur Wheldon said: " When crews originally arrived they could hear explosions from inside and so had to be defensive.
"They fought the fire with jets but the roof had already collapsed in and everything inside was gutted by flames."
The burned out shells of about six Beetles were found among the debris. Fire investigation teams were at the business yesterday trying to find the cause of the blaze.
n A dozen families were evacuated from their homes yesterday morning after a huge blaze broke out in a Coventry car workshop.
The fire started at about 5am at a single storey garage at the rear of Broad Street, Edgwick in Foleshill.
