OAKLAND PARK, Fla. – A massive 2-alarm fire in a warehouse district in Oakland Park had plumes of thick black smoke blanketing the neighborhood and into the sky from a manufacturing building at Dixie Highway near Northeast 7th Avenue.
Around 11:05 a.m., the city of Oakland Park Fire Department responded to the fire at 4201 N.E. 6th Ave.
An internet search shows that it is a company called Barco Sales and Manufacturing, which, according to its website, designs and manufactures custom foam products for commercial and military applications.
Oakland Park Fire Chief Stephen Krivjanik said that the building did house a foam manufacturing business.
“The business was a manufacturer of commercial grade Styrofoam that is very flammable. There were some explosions that occurred with liquid petroleum tanks — gas tank — that were going off because of the fire,” Krivjanik said.
He said that the east wall of the building did collapse and that the department was able to get the fire under control.
Krivjanik said there were 14 people inside the building that were able to evacuate safely and that there were no injuries.
The fire department spent the day Wednesday putting out hotspots and Florida Power & Light was on scene repairing a damaged powerline.
Ryan Sandoval was working across the street when he heard a commotion.
“So, I run out and you start seeing the smoke, then it starts building faster and faster and then literally 30 seconds later you start seeing the flames.”
Crews had to cut off power to many of the surrounding buildings and it remained shutdown into Wednesday evening.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.