Hundreds of firefighters worked to extinguish a massive fire that broke out at a warehouse near Miami Gardens in northwest Miami-Dade on Thursday, but officials fear that the blaze could smolder for days despite their valiant efforts to put it out.
A majority of the fire activity has been suppressed, however an eerie orange glow filled the night and early morning sky near Hard Rock Stadium as crews continued to dump water on the destroyed warehouse, trying to extinguish the hotspots that remain.
They’ve also been keeping an eye on the surrounding vegetation and structures to ensure the fire doesn’t reignite and spread.
The six-story warehouse, which was comparable to the size of two Costco warehouses, was filled with various items from shampoo to food trucks, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials.
And now those who worked inside the building are worried that they may lose their jobs since the facility and most items inside were destroyed.
Video from inside warehouse shows fire’s initial moments
A new video obtained by CBS News Miami shows the dramatic moments when the fire broke out inside the Miami-Dade warehouse on Thursday morning.
In the video you can hear the crackle of the fire spreading throughout the building as people run around yelling to alert others of the blaze.
In another part of the video you can see people with fire extinguishers bravely trying to extinguish the flames as hundreds of firefighters from across the region were racing to the building.
The fire was no match for employees or firefighters, however, and suppression efforts were limited to the exterior of the building due to the dangerousness of the quickly unfolding situation.
“From the arrival of the initial companies, the fire had already taken possession of the entire building making it too dangerous for us to go inside,” Miami-Dade Deputy Fire Chief Danny Cardeso said on Thursday as the fire was raging. “So, we’re operating from the exterior, again, trying to control the fire and keep it from spreading.
While a majority of the flames have been put out, potentially toxic smoke continues to billow from the building, leading to health concerns for some residents.
Smoke from Miami-Dade warehouse fire leads to health concerns for many
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is continuing to provide updates for the community in regards to fire suppression efforts, but they’re also providing updates regarding smoke billowing from the building.
“Smoky conditions may affect those with respiratory problems,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a post on X. “If possible, remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and set your home and vehicle (air conditioner) to recirculate.”
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue issued a public safety alert notification to residents’ cell phones, warning them that smoke could start to pur into the community as the fire was raging.
CBS News Miami spoke to Dr. Jason Mansour, the director of Broward Health Medical Center, and he said smoke from a fire like the one that occurred on Thursday could cause major health problems, especially if it has carbon monoxide.
“The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning would include headaches, dizziness, it could make the person feel very confused,” Mansour said on Thursday.
He also said that if a patient is experiencing an exposure to carbon monoxide, they should go to the emergency room to get evaluated.
More than 200 firefighters join in on battle against the blaze
In total, more than 200 firefighters from across Miami-Dade descended upon the area to try and fire the fire, which broke out at Global Warehouse Solutions at 20600 Northwest 47th Avenue.
Fire officials said that other agencies also responded to the fire, including the Florida Forestry Service, Florida’s Department of Emergency Management, Miami-Dade’s Department of Emergency Management, and the state Fire Marshal.
No injuries were reported to any civilians or firefighters, and the investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing.
