SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8/CNS) - A pickup truck caught fire near a Point Loma Heights bar and auto repair shop early Tuesday morning, but nobody was inside the truck and there were no reports of injuries, authorities said.
Police responded just before 3:50 a.m. to what was initially thought to be a vehicle that crashed into Catalina Lounge at 4202 Voltaire Street, San Diego police Officer Robert Heims said. It later became apparent that the pickup did not crash, but burst into flames near the auto repair shop below the bar, on Catalina Boulevard.
One witness, who captured the truck as it burst into flames on her cell phone, said she heard multiple explosions.
"You could just hear the metal burning, I don't know why there were three loud explosions," Jen Schmidt, said.
The truck, which was apparently unoccupied when it caught fire, was fully engulfed in flames when emergency crews arrived, Heims said. Firefighters were able to quickly douse the blaze, but the pickup was destroyed.
Flames did not spread to the building, though both the Catalina Lounge and the auto repair shop reportedly sustained smoke damage.
Arson investigators from the fire department's Metro Arson Strike Team responded to the scene and were attempting to determine the cause of the blaze, Heims said.
Facebook Video: A News 8 viewer captured this pickup truck as it went up in flames near businesses in Point Loma Heights. (Courtesy: Jen Schmidt).