Fire Station Closest to Fla. Biodiesel Fire Faced Closure

ST. CLOUD, Fla. --

Investigators in Osceola County will sift through what's left of a biodiesel plant in Osceola County on Friday.

They're working to determine the cause of an intense chemical fire Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters said they believe the blaze ignited in a warehouse of R & J Site Development on Nova Road around 1 p.m. Hundreds of gallons of chemicals were stored there, including methanol, sodium methane, sulfuric acid and biodiesel fuel.

Crews said a worker tried to douse the flames with a dry chemical extinguisher, but they said it apparently only fueled the flames.

Two employees at the plant made it out safely. Nervous neighbors said they heard several explosions.

"The flames were above the trees. All I heard was boom, boom, boom, boom. I took off running," neighbor Dana Long said.

The first firefighters to arrive at the blaze were from the Pine Grove Fire Station. It was a station recently sought for closure because of budget problems.

Neighbors said it's a good thing they rallied to keep the station open.

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