A spark from a welding shop may have ignited a multiple-alarm blaze in Miami on Thursday, Aug.9. With temperatures around 96, more than 60 firefighters and 20 units were needed to contain this blaze in a warehouse near Liberty City.
First arriving firefighters on the alpha and charlie sides were met with intense heat, heavy smoke and flying pieces of concrete as exlosions from inside the structure. That resulted in a second alarm, complete evacuation and a defensive attack that prevented an adjoining warehouse from becoming involved.
The warehouse was being converted from its previous refrigeration use, and much of the fire load can be attributed to the multiple layers of insulated materials used in cold storage.
One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion. The effort stopped at around 2:30 p.m., after nearly five hours of work. No other injuries were reported.
