PITTSBURGH --
Pittsburgh firefighters beat the heat while battling a huge fire at a salvage yard and warehouse in Lawrenceville on Friday.
The D&D Auto Salvage building on Butler Street near the 62nd Street bridge caught fire shortly after 6 a.m. Friday.
Flames sent a thick plume of black smoke into the air that was visible for miles.
The owner's son, Mike Craig, said he had to park several blocks away and walk to his father's business to see the damage.
"It’s nuts. It's unbelievable. I was actually on my way down here, and my phone rang and they said, 'There's a big fire. You got to get down here,'" Craig said.
Assistant Fire Chief Michael Mullen said the fire caused heavy damage to the business.
Mullen said firefighters were able to keep a large propane tank outside the building from exploding, and there were no reports of injuries.
"There were workers here. The workers were helping us remove some of the tanks and parts safely away from the fire," Mullen said.
Officials said some waste fuel from the building went into the Allegheny River, but it didn't cause a safety concern.
With temperatures already in the 80s, firefighters kept cool by taking shifts out of the heat on Port Authority buses.
The firefighters said the buses provided much needed relief.
"They wanted us to cool off and get rehydrated and drink more fluids," said firefighter Thomas Reiser.
The 62nd Street Bridge and Butler Street were closed while firefighters battled the blaze, causing a traffic backup in the area.
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