Massive Miami Gardens Warehouse Fire Affects Community
On March 5th, a large warehouse packed with shampoo, deodorant, firewood, and other materials caught on fire in Miami Gardens. Because of the huge amount of flammable inventory it housed, officials warned there was a risk of explosion during the fire. The fire started in the late morning and escalated into a five-alarm fire, one of the most serious levels, due to the size of the building being over 300,000 square feet, nearly twice the size of a Costco.
Over 200 firefighters from Miami-dade Fire Rescue and Miramar Fire Rescue showed up to the scene. Due to the intensity of the fire and how much it had spread the roof began to collapse preventing crews from being able to go inside.
Crews conducted a defensive attack using aerial water streams and ground operations to prevent it from spreading to neighboring businesses. Officials warned that the fire could continue burning for several days as crews worked to fully extinguish it.
“I couldn’t stop coughing whenever I went outside. Because of my allergies my eyes were slightly irritated and watery. The smoke was very strong and I had to cover my mouth in order for me to stop coughing,” said sophomore Brandon Higgs
Due to thick black smoke and poor air quality residents within a 5 mile radius of the fire were advised to stay indoors, close windows, and set air conditioning to recirculate.
Children, the elderly, and citizens with respiratory conditions were specifically urged to follow these warnings for their safety. Road closures were also implemented along NW 47th Avenue from NW 199th Street to NW 215th street to allow emergency personnel to operate safely.
“I live a couple miles away from it so I was a little surprised how close it was to me. I got a notification on my phone that toxic smoke was coming and I was you know terrified a little bit and I walk home so that just makes it worse,” said junior Christopher James.
All employees were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported but a significant amount of property was damaged. A lot of small businesses lost inventory and equipment and some people lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of items.
Because of the smoke that continued to affect the surrounding area, the Environmental Protection Agency and local authorities began ongoing monitoring. The Miami-Dade Fire Marshall leads the investigation into the cause of the fire with reports suggesting an electrical issue in the roof.
As of now the fire has been completely contained but the investigation as to how it started is still ongoing and no new updates have been released to the public.
