David Goodhue, Milena Malaver, Devoun Cetoute, David J. Neal

Miami Herald

(TNS)

More than 200 firefighters are battling a large fire at a six-story warehouse near Miami Gardens on Thursday with hazardous materials reportedly inside. Dozens of units from several departments are on the scene, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Firefighters arrived at the warehouse at 20600 NW 47th Ave. after 11 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke and fire, the department said.

The incident was upgraded to a five-alarm fire. MDFR has 48 units on scene, and Miramar is also assisting. The blaze was classified at the highest of the five alarm levels, which function as a communication and battle-strategy system for the fire department.

The higher the alarm the more serious the situation. A one-alarm fire usually denotes a blaze that is in a small, contained area and only needs a few firefighters. A five-alarm fire is declared in the rarest, severest emergencies like large building fires and massive wildfires that need a lot of manpower to put out.

The last blaze of this magnitude was the 2023 Covanta Energy fire at a county-owned waste-to-energy plant in Doral, fire rescue officials said. The fire destroyed the plant, which has yet to be replaced.

Fire might burn for days

By the time the first crews arrived, the fire had “taken possession of the entire building,” making it too dangerous for them to enter, said Danny Cardeso, deputy fire chief.

Firefighters simultaneously started battling the fire and rescuing some of the workers around the warehouse, which is about three miles west of Hard Rock Stadium.

“The fire quickly escalated to a second, third, and eventually what we’re currently at, a fifth-alarm warehouse fire,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said in an afternoon press conference

He strongly emphasized the sheer size of the warehouse, which is still burning and is about two times larger than a Costco. Inside were thousands of types of items stored in an open-floor layout.

“The sheer amount of material that’s in there varies,” he said. “There’s thousands of items that are actually carried inside that warehouse; from firewood to astroturf to shampoo to deodorant.”

Fire commanders were heard on radio communications ordering all personnel fighting the blaze to wear air masks because the smoke was contaminated with chemicals.

Jadallah warned the fire might not be put out before sunrise Friday, and maybe into the weekend, due to the blaze causing structural damage.

“There is a possibility of this fire burning for a couple of days as a result of the roof that has collapsed on top of this warehouse,” he said.

The warehouse was an older building made of different materials, including concrete and a sheet metal roof. Jadallah said the materials of the roof allowed the building to be consumed and partially collapse faster. Helicopters were brought in to fight the blaze from above as the situation grew more dangerous on the ground.

Firefighters are also trying to contain the blaze as well as extinguish it before it could possibly extend to open land that is just west of the warehouse and is being watched by the Florida Forest Service. It is still unclear what caused the fire, a question that the Florida Fire Marshal’s Office will be investigating in the coming days.

‘We tried to deal with it’

Jorge Gonzalez just arrived at work when the fire started, and it rapidly grew out of control.

“It was really quick. We tried to deal with it, but it was impossible,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, 26, has worked at the warehouse for three years, and said the facility stores numerous products, many that are “corrosive and explosive,” he said.

There are several businesses that have that warehouse address. They include Global Warehouse Solutions & 3PL Fulfillment & Drayage Miami and Diamond Windows & Doors.

Dr. Frederica S. Wilson Skyway Elementary School, right across from the warehouse, is vacant and under construction, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district told the Miami Herald. Students are at another school six minutes east. Neither school is currently affected, the district said.

MDFR is urging people to stay away from the area, especially those with respiratory issues. No injuries have been reported.

Workers stood along Northwest 45th Avenue and were being interviewed by agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Northwest 47th Avenue is closed from 199th to 215th Streets, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said.

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