Crews on Saturday continued to work around the clock to completely put out a fire that tore through a warehouse in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Authorities also asked anyone with equipment stored in the lot to come pick it up as soon as possible because crews want to start demolition of the warehouse, and it’s raising concerns for some people in the community.
“A lot of nervous people on the street, though, there’s a lot of concern,” Gloria Downey said.
Downey’s parents live half a block away from the warehouse that went up in flames on Thursday.
She shared this video, which she said captured the moment after the initial explosion.
Since then, Downey said she’s been looking after her elderly parents after fire officials warned about air quality concerns.
“We’ve been just sort of laying low, hanging out inside, watching the news, keeping an eye on the building, trying not to be in the air,” she said.
Three days later, crews continue to work.
“The fire is largely contained, but there are hot spots within the structure, and that’s why we’re keeping our crews here on scene,” said Erica Benitez, spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
Authorities on Saturday also announced they want to start demolition as soon as possible.
“Why are you in a hurry? I still see smoldering,” Downey said.
As smoke continues to cloud the sky, Downey is worried demolition could send even more debris into the air, especially from what fire officials called hazardous materials.
“All that construction for three years with that landfill back there, it blows in our house, it blows on our cars,” she said. “They just did the canal again with dirt. It blows into our yards. Is that going to blow into our houses?”
Authorities said the air quality is being monitored.
“We have our partner agencies actively monitoring air quality to protect both our firefighters and our community,” Benitez said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.