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First responders were dispatched to Hertz on Medford Avenue in East Patchogue shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28, where there was a report of multiple cars that caught fire in the parking lot.
In total, officials said that eight cars suffered extensive damage and one minor injury was reported, though it was unclear if he required any treatment.
The fire, which the Brookhaven Fire Marshal said was “accidental in nature” reportedly broke out when an employee at Hertz was removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle with a cutting torch at which point it caught fire.
The worker believed that he had extinguished the fire initially, but it rapidly spread to the other vehicles.
While crews worked to extinguish the flames, a stretch of Route 112 was closed in both directions during the incident, which remains under investigation.
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