On the first day back from spring break, automotive technology instructor Cliff Norton took his Auto Electric System class to the Lounibos Center garage. As they crossed the yellow tape barrier set up by a cleanup crew, the students were shocked to see the ashy white remains of a 2005 Ford Focus, in stark contrast to the blackened interior of the garage.

The Santa Rosa Fire Department responded to a fire in the Lounibos Center automotive shop at 11 p.m. March 18 after a passer-by saw smoke coming out of the building and alerted the fire department. Firefighters contained the fire within 15 minutes.

According to the Fire Department, firefighters who entered the building found a burning car as the interior of the building filled with smoke. The blaze severely damaged a Ford Focus sedan, while the surrounding area sustained severe heat damage. The incident report from the fire department stated that smoke damage was also present in the building. The cause of the fire is still unknown, though it appears accidental according to initial investigations.

Norton was getting ready for work when he was alerted by the fire department about the auto shop fire. He said his reaction was of “universal disbelief.”

“I thought they were kidding at first,” Norton said. “But no, not kidding.”

Santa Rosa Fire Department reports that the fire caused approximately $300,000 in damages, which included damages to automotive testing and repair equipment, teaching materials and other contents inside the auto shop. Nelson said the exact cost of the damages wouldn’t be known for another month.

There were no sprinklers in the building, and the fire alarm was not monitored.

The Ford Focus had been undergoing restoration by the automotive technology department since the fall semester of 2009 through several electric vehicle classes. It was scheduled for a test drive on March 23.

“This was the centerpiece,” Norton said about the car, which was among a few cars being restored in the auto shop. “This was state of the art, with the best, newest batteries.”

Nelson said the incident could mean the end of the electric vehicles restoration project, citing risks. “It’s a shame it blew up, because it sends a bad message to the public about electric cars. It’s disappointing it met its end like this,” he said.

Still, Nelson is keen to move on after the fire. Other vehicles in the process of restoration in the garage were left undamaged by the incident.

“We’re really curious,” Nelson said about the cause of the fire, adding that the Ford Focus wasn’t designed to combust. “The engineers especially want to go further with this and find out why this happened. At least we’re learning something from this.”