The main fire is out, but fire crews are still worried about small fires that could be trapped inside bales of cotton.
The fire started Tuesday when employees were moving cotton. A bale of cotton hit a light fixture, sending sparks into the air. The spark ignitied other bales of cotton, causing a massive blaze. Fire crews have been rotating shifts out at the site since Tuesday afternoon. Cotton fires like this one are a challenge for firefighters.
"What happens is this cotton starts to burn it`s very packed together," says Chris Angerer, District Chief with the Lubbock Fire Department. "It`s hard to get water into it. The wires in these bales start to fail. That`s what we`re having to deal with."
Firefighters expect to work through the night. It`s possible this could take them at least a few more days. Angerer says there is the possibility they will be working through Christmas.
The warehouse stores cotton motes. Motes are a lower grade of cotton used to make mattresses and money.
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