Firefighters in Phoenix are battling a two-alarm fire involving exploding propane tanks and hazardous materials in an industrial area of the city. The fire department also requested that people avoid the area around 19th Avenue and Broadway as the fire is still “active and risky”.
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Firefighters have several water streams, fighting the fire from a distance.
“When those big explosions happen we can actually feel the heat”, ABC 15 quoted Mark Forti, an employee at a nearby business, as saying.
The fire generated a tremendous amount of smoke, likely thanks to all that motor oil.
A large plume of smoke could be seen burning south of downtown Phoenix near 19th Avenue and Broadway.
The 55-gallon drums heated up and exploded, with several flying into the air as projectiles, fire officials said.
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There was no immediate word on what started the blaze in a storage area lined with large 55-gallon tanks of motor oil and solvents used to clean auto parts. No casualties have been reported so far. The fire burned strong for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon, and caused powerful explosions and massive fireballs.
