PHOENIX — Kyle Walsh works an overnight shift and was out for his routine 2 a.m. jog when he saw the foot flames across the street.
“It went from really quiet to sirens everywhere,” said Walsh. “The flames were getting really really big. You could hear not explosions but like things crashing down it seemed like it.”
The Phoenix Fire Department responded to calls for a fire in the early morning hours Thursday morning at Head to Toe Therapy at 5314 N. 7th Street. Both buildings owned by the company were on fire.
Around 50 firefighters worked to set up for defensive operations with a concerted effort of protecting the nearby exposures from burning.
For years, the therapy center provided a range of therapies to thousands of kids with special needs.
County records show the first building that caught on fire was previously a nail salon and was purchased by Bridget O’Brien, the owner and founder of Head To Toe Therapy.
According to a former therapist interviewed by 12 News, both buildings closed in recent months.
Fire investigators tell 12 News it may take a while before they know how the fire started.
The center's owner is currently under investigation for questionable business practices.
Watch the troubled history of the business in a 12 News investigation: