Several Businesses Shut Down by Dallas County Fire Marshal

A public safety hazard had Dallas County officials taking drastic measures Wednesday morning.

Nearly a dozen salvage yards along Dowdy Ferry Road in rural Dallas County were shut down.

"They're shutting all the wrecking yards down right now and the owners are driving away leaving their dogs," neighbor John Palmer told a friend.

It's certainly not how he expected to spend his morning.

"There's a couple of dogs out here that need a home," he said.

The operators of several salvage yards along Dowdy Ferry Road were told they must close up shop.

The Dallas County Fire Marshal's Office crackdown is the culmination of months of code compliance warnings given to these business owners.

"There's some resistance. They're wanting to stay open and give them more time. How much time can we give?" said Dallas County Fire Marshal Robert De Los Santos.

Investigators said the overflow of vehicles is a fire hazard because of oil seepage.

"That's our biggest concern. If we do have a flood, high rains here, this area floods and that's where you're going to get seepage, oil slicks and eventually get into the Trinity River," De Los Santos said.

Investigators shut down nearly a dozen of the yards.

People who were on the property at the time drove off and were not interested in speaking with NBC 5.

"They work seven days a week, crushing cars, this-that-and-the-other. We know they're not all drained of vehicle fluids so they're just going into the ground or being pumped into the lake -- that's just not right," Palmer said.

The Dallas County Fire Marshal's Office said the businesses will remain closed until they show signs of compliance. Until then, Palmer stepped in and tried to help with the dogs left behind.

"It affects the whole community. It's just, it's not right. It's not legal. If they were, we wouldn't be here today," said Palmer.

Numerous calls by NBC 5 to the landlord of the properties went unanswered and have not been returned.