OPA-LOCKA, Florida-- A huge fire in Opa-locka gutted a family's business on Tuesday evening, and there was little that family members could do but run when the blaze began to roar through their swimwear manufacturing warehouse.
The Seaside Swim Warehouse went up in flames just after 6 p.m., destroying a family company, shutting down traffic and leaving fire investigators searching for answers.
The family has owned the company, which designs and distributes swimwear, for three generations and started in 1942.
Witnesses said thick smoke and flames could be seen pouring out of the building for hours. Traffic in the area was halted and commuter trains were stopped. Click here to find out more!
More than 50 firefighters in 25 fire units battled the blaze. Propane tanks exploded, making the fire difficult to control.
"This is one of the most dangerous fires that firefighters face, because we do have a lot of industrial materials. We have chemicals on site, propane tanks. And there's a lot of personnel working this fire, so a lot had to be organized and coordinated," said Shanti Hall, of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Firefighters continued to work on Tuesday night to control some small pockets of the fire.
Investigators do not know what caused the blaze, which destroyed the business. No injuries were reported.
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