Explosion, fire at car wash on south side causes $3.5 million in damage

UPDATE: Fire officials say an explosion at a south-side car wash has caused $3.5 million in damages.

The explosion happened at Brad’s Car Wash, 8135 Shelby St., around 9:15 p.m. on Friday. Fire investigators have classified the cause as undetermined but say they believe it was the result of natural gas migration. Officials do not yet know the source of the leak or ignition.

Employees of the car wash said they smelled a rotten egg odor in the building a few days before the explosion that had returned on Friday.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Security footage obtained by News 8 appears to show the moment a fire and explosion erupted at a south-side car wash Friday night.

Crews were called around 9:15 p.m. Friday to Brad’s Car Wash, 8135 Shelby St., on reports of a working building fire.

No one was injured in the explosion, according to IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith. The car wash falls into the category of “essential business” and was open until about 6 p.m. Friday.

The explosion was strong enough to knock items off the walls at nearby Michaels and Hobby Lobby stores, Reith said.

The debris from the explosion covered as much as 150 yards, Reith said.

The fire took about 30 minutes to get under control. The cause of the fire and explosion on Friday night remained under investigation, Reith said.

News 8’s Dan Klein was on Facebook Live showing a bit of the debris and ongoing work by crews, including Citizen Energy Group, after the fire was out.

A person picking up a pizza nearby told News 8 he heard the explosion.

This security video, courtesy of Pizza Junkiez Coffee Junkiez and Trouble Free Security, 1121 E. Stop 11 Rd, shows what appears to be the moment the explosion happened.