YARMOUTH, Mass. --
More than two dozen firefighters were taken to Cape Cod Hospital on Friday after they inhaled potentially toxic fumes at a fire at a cranberry bog, according to the Cape Cod Times.
Fire crews from around the Cape helped knock down the blaze, which engulfed a storage facility at the Old Colony Cranberry Bog in South Yarmouth at about 11:15 a.m. Officials said the 5,000-square-foot building was housing fertilizer when it was engulfed by flames.
Toxins released by the fire caused 28 firefighters and three civilians to be evaluated for smoke inhalation after they were exposed to fumes from the facility. One firefighter was also treated for exhaustion, Yarmouth fire Capt. Alan Bowles told the paper. Bowles said none of the firefighters is expected to be admitted to the hospital.
Residents near the cranberry bog were told to stay inside their homes until the smoke cleared as a precautionary measure. Teams of public safety officers traversed the Knob Hill Road area to notify residents of the situation, and town officials activated the county's mass calling system to spread the alert.
The state's hazardous materials response unit was called to investigate the fire.
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