Fire department investigating after two fires take place in two days at Hammond body shop [Video]

HAMMOND – A body shop down Alligator Drive in Hammond went up in flames Saturday morning. It neighbors a mobile home community, and residents say the shop had a fire at the same time the morning before, but that one was contained. 

The shop’s renters say they rented from owner Shorty Rogers. 

“Who in their mind would burn a shop down, somebody’s place of business? That’s like somebody’s home being burned down,” said Tiara Pope, who rents one of the shops.

The Hammond Fire Department got the call at 5:15 a.m. Saturday, and it took several hours to extinguish the fully engulfed building. 

“I’ve never witnessed a fire like that in real life, that was the first time I’ve ever witnessed that and it was just devastating, it really was.”

Pope says everything’s a total loss. 

“It started from the end and it messed up so many peoples’ cars that just got painted yesterday. I’m talking …