ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — UPDATE: St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said crews had extinguished the fire at Aceros America St. Pete and were working to put out hot spots Thursday night. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but early reports suggested hurricane debris, including appliances with flammable insulation, motors, and batteries may have sparked the flames.
"We are putting a lot of water on it," St. Pete Fire Rescue Capt. Garth Swingle said Thursday afternoon as crews fought the fire. "It's going to take a long time and a lot of water because of how deep the pile is because they're containing it, keeping it, because it's already a hazardous pile. Don't know how it started, why it started - it's debris. Anybody can throw something away."
A St. Petersburg spokesperson told Spectrum News the site wasn't a city designated site for debris drop-off, but Swingle said Aceros had opened its doors to people who wanted to get rid of flood-damaged items.
"They're doing a great job of putting it in one pile, and that is the reason why it is contained in one pile," Swingle said.
Fire rescue said more than 40 firefighters worked to put out the two-alarm fire. Two ladder trucks and four engines remained on site Thursday night, and street closures remained in effect. No injuries were reported. Officials are also reminding residents about the importance of sorting debris.
"It would be great if people can pay attention to anything that's hazardous, that might catch fire, or any hazards to the environment or people or animals, to separate that. Make sure you keep that separate so we can dispose of that properly," Swingle said.
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Crews with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue responded Thursday afternoon to a structure fire at Aceros America St. Pete, located at 2550 30th Ave N.
The fire appeared to involve a large debris pile in the scrap yard, officials said.
The call was reported just before 2 p.m. The fire, which was eventually contained to the location, was extinguished by 9 p.m. officials said.
St. Pete Police blocked off all streets from Morris Street to 28th Street and from 30th Avenue to 26th Avenue.
Meanwhile, residents were evacuated from the Ponce De Leon neighborhood due to the large amounts of smoke from the two-alarm fire.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said crews had extinguished the fire at Aceros America St. Pete and were working to put out hot spots Thursday night. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but early reports suggested hurricane debris — including appliances with flammable insulation, motors, and batteries — may have sparked the flames.
"We are putting a lot of water on it," St. Pete Fire Rescue Capt. Garth Swingle said Thursday afternoon as crews fought the fire. "It's going to take a long time and a lot of water because of how deep the pile is because they're containing it, keeping it, because it's already a hazardous pile. Don't know how it started, why it started — it's debris. Anybody can throw something away."
A St. Petersburg spokesperson told Spectrum News that the site was not a city-designated site for debris drop-off, but Swingle said Aceros had opened its doors to people who wanted to get rid of flood-damaged items.
"They're doing a great job of putting it in one pile, and that is the reason why it is contained in one pile," Swingle said.
Fire rescue said more than 40 firefighters worked to put out the two-alarm fire. Two ladder trucks and four engines remained on site Thursday night, and street closures remained in effect. No injuries were reported. Officials are also reminding residents about the importance of sorting debris.
"It would be great if people can pay attention to anything that's hazardous, that might catch fire, or any hazards to the environment or people or animals, to separate that," Swingle said. "Make sure you keep that separate so we can dispose of that properly."