Residents in northwest Miami-Dade are raising concerns about the location of a massive warehouse that caught fire, questioning why such a large industrial building was permitted so close to their homes.
Firefighters are still battling the five-alarm blaze, which is expected to continue burning for several days. Officials are warning that air quality in the area remains unsafe.
The scene on Friday was calmer than the chaotic conditions a day earlier. The fire, which began before 11 a.m. Thursday at a warehouse in the 20600 block of Northwest 47th Avenue drew hundreds of firefighters.
For many neighbors, the incident has reinforced long-standing concerns about the warehouse’s proximity to family residences.
“That should not be so close to family homes,” said Jesus Fuentes in Spanish, who has lived on his street for more than 30 years, less than a block from the warehouse. Fuentes said residents had always worried that a disaster like this could happen.
Due to heavy smoke, many neighbors are now being told to stay indoors.
“With smoky conditions continuing in the area, we ask anybody with medical or respiratory conditions to stay indoors if possible. Keep your windows and doors closed,” said Erika Benitez, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Fire officials described the warehouse as being roughly the size of two Costco stores.
“Our crews have made significant progress in working and knocking down hot spots throughout the structure,” Benitez said.
By Friday, some employees returned, hoping to retrieve their vehicles that were left behind when the fire broke out.
“I left my car there. I can see where it was,” said Ruciel Tarrago in Spanish. “I wasn’t able to get it out yesterday.”
Tarrago and about a dozen other workers were later escorted inside the property by fire officials to retrieve their cars.
“I finally got my car,” said Rossana Tejera. She said her husband had to run out of the building when the flames started and left his vehicle behind.
Authorities say no one was injured, but several vehicles were destroyed in the fire. The incident has also left dozens of employees temporarily out of work. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
CBS News Miami has reached out to Global Warehouse Solutions for comment regarding the fire and what may have caused it, but the company has not yet responded.
