Fire Causes $80,000 Damage To Miami Nursery

Feb. 16, 2006
Firefighters were hampered briefly because of locked gates.

A suspicious fire destroyed dozens of golf carts and caused $80,000 in damage to Nature's Way nursery in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday afternoon.

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The fire started in one of the warehouses at the nursery located on Southwest 212th Street.

"Smoke was coming from the nursery and it was a golf cart casing. I've seen it before," said Thomas Ward.

The Ward family lives beside the nursery and captured the fire on a digital video camera.

"I brought my camera. I started shooting the film," Valerie Ward said. "It was a pretty big fire."

According to witnesses, firefighters arrived within 10 minutes but couldn't get inside because gates to the nursery were locked.

Thomas Ward,17, ran toward the fire to find anyone inside who could help unlock the gates.

"I saw the people. They were across the fire. I was not going to get myself in danger trying to cross the fire to get somebody," Ward said.

Firefighters eventually used a power saw to cut the gate. Once inside, the Wards said firefighters quickly contained the blaze.

No one was injured in the fire, which investigators are calling suspicious.

NBC 6's Tom Llamas reported that the owners of the nursery are out of town, but have been notified.

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