PALMETTO, Fla. — Firefighters with the North River Fire District are still working on a fire that erupted Saturday afternoon at a scrap metal facility in Palmetto.
As of Sunday morning, limited crews are still on scene cooling hotspots and keeping the remaining fire contained.
The fire department has stations 1, 4, and 5 available to cover calls while stations 2 and 3 will do a changeover at the scene.
Battalion Chief JD Hadlock is hoping to bring the incident to close Sunday morning, Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sicking explains.
"The NRFD Prevention Bureau is working with company representatives to determine the cause [of the fire] and prevent future incidents," Sicking wrote to 10 Tampa Bay.
The assistant fire chief said there were two minor injuries amongst the responding firefighter crews. "One firefighter with a scraped finger and one with a shoulder injury carrying a heavy object," Sicking explained.
Here's what all went down Saturday:
A call came in a little after 10 a.m. of a fire at Aceros America Port Manatee LLC. After crews realized the scope of the fire, they reportedly called in backup.
Approximately fifty firefighters and additional emergency services personnel were on the scene, working through the night.
The area of the fire was near a jail, Manatee County leaders explain. The jail was placed on lockdown allowing no one outside.
"It's a mixture of metals, plastics, unknowns," Joe Sicking, the North River assistant fire chief, said in regards to what was burning in the fire.
Two thousand gallons of foam have been used to try to put out the fire, and a Tampa foam trailer came to assist. Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Sour said Tampa's additional foam to be enough to extinguish the fire.
Several first responding crews were helping across Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
As of 2 p.m. Saturday, the fire was 25 percent contained and spread a bit north of the main fire. The fire burned into the evening. Some storage yards and train trailers were exposed, and owners have been notified. As of Sunday morning, crews are monitoring hot spots as they arise.
At around 9 p.m., a 10 Tampa Bay photojournalist said he felt and heard what sounded like an explosion at the scrap metal yard. An orange glow could be seen from about a half-mile away. Sicking said he isn't sure what caused the noise.
"Crews are maintaining a safe distance away from the pile using master streams," Sicking said. "They experienced small explosions throughout the evening but nothing significant."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. When asked if the shredding facility followed its protocol in the instance of a fire, county officials said that was also under investigation.
Sour said Aceros America Port Manatee LLC runs under reduced staff on the weekend. The staff has not been evacuated and is helping first responders with access points to best extinguish the fire.
There is a no-fly zone in place. The fire is reportedly in an industrial area with no homes in the immediate vicinity.
"Any smoke is toxic [and] hazardous," North River Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sicking said. "At this point, [the fire] is lifting really high...there are no residents closely affected."
Officials are asking drivers to stop pulling over to take photos along Highway 41. Not only to avoid smoke inhalation but to keep drivers safe along the busy roadway.
A Travel Advisory has been issued in the area of the fire. U.S. 41 travel lanes in the area of Piney Pointe Road are open. Florida Highway Patrol troopers are assisting with traffic in the area and will monitor conditions throughout the night.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly named the shredding facility as the Port Manatee Scrap Metal Facility. The business was bought by Aceros America in 2021. The signage has not yet been changed.