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Fire Rips Through Fort Worth Strip Mall

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Fire ripped through a strip mall early Thursday morning in south Fort Worth, sending people running for safety. The incident took place around 1:00 a.m. along the South Freeway, near Sycamore School Road. The strip mall is located just behind a first row of businesses along the Interstate-35W feeder road, just across the highway from Miller brewing.

Emergency crews responded to a call about a fire at the Metroplex Insurance Agency. The flames were spreading to other surrounding businesses. Firefighters arrived on the scene and had the blaze under control after about 20 minutes.

The insurance agency was gutted by the fire. An adjoining business sustained heavy smoke damage. About half a dozen businesses in total were somehow impacted by the incident.

Also nearby is the Live Life sound studio, where the owners were recording when the fire broke out. They managed to escape without any injuries.

Charlie Watts runs an engineering consulting business next door to the insurance agency. His business was spared, but Watts was distraught over the damage next door.

"I rushed down here and saw it was mainly these two here," he said.  "I just feel sorry for my sister-in-law.  Her business was the insurance agency."

Arson investigators were called to the scene and determined the blaze was caused by electric wiring.

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