NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A massive five-alarm fire continues to burn at a warehouse near the Miami-Dade/Broward county line and the Florida Turnpike, but crews have made significant progress as the frefight entered a second day.
The orange flow of the inmense blaze lit up the early Friday morning sky in Northwest Miami-Dade, between Miramar and Miami Gardens, as close to 200 firefighters work to out out the flames.
First responders in radio transmissions underscored the dangers that crews face.
“Anyone that’s remotely in this smoke, even a little bit, needs to be on air. This is heavily chemicaled on the west side with corrosives. We don’t need anybody having that in their lungs,” said a first responder.
The firefight at the multi-use warehouse, which began late Thursday morning, has been grueling as well as dangerous. Units with Miami-Dade and Miramar fire rescue arrived at the scene, near Northwest 47th Avenue and 207th Drive, to find the structure fully engulfed in flames.
“We encountered many challenges when arriving here, including the size of this structure,” said MDFR Assistant Fire Chief Jason Fernandez. “It being a warehouse, that’s over 300,000 square feet, access was limited.”
7Skyforce hovered above the inferno as crews conducted a defensive attack from the air and ground. The billowing black smoke could be seen from miles away.
Employees inside the facility tried to smother the flames early but were unsuccessful.
“I think it was a problem with the electrical stuff on the roof,” said an employee who identified himself as Alejandro.
“I heard Laura scream something, but I thought it was a fight, so I sat there, but I saw them running in and out, so when I ran out to the office in the right, there was a fire right by the artificial turf,” said an employee who identified himself as Nesia.
“I walked to the fire to stop it. That was too fast,” said Alejandro.
Now these employees are not sure what comes next.
“It’s more than frightening; I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life,” said. “Really devastating and heartbreaking, ’cause we all work hard; we all come in every day to make this place successful.”
The massive flames ripped through the property, which spans several dozen acres and includes a fulfillment center that contained some flammable items.
“From firewood to AstroTurf, from shampoo to deodorant, so there isn’t one specific item that’s in there,” said MDFT Chief Ray Jadallah.
The metal walls of the warehouse gave way under the intense heat.
“It looks like there’s portions of the building right there that are falling in on themselves,” said Rayburn.
Firefighters changed shifts as they worked into the night.
“There’s still a lot of material that’s underneath the roof that has not burned, and we continue trying to extinguish the fire,” said Jadallah.
A wide swath of southwestern Broward County — including Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Southwest Ranches and Weston — is experiencing reduced air quality due to the fire. Officials advise residents who suffers from respiratory issues or allergies to limit their outside exposure and take proper precautions.
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