A huge warehouse fire in Grand Prairie had five fire departments fighting to keep the blaze under control. Sixty firefighters and twelve engines battled into the morning to try to contain the blaze.
Around 7:45 p.m. Monday night, Grand Prairie Fire Department responded to a warehouse fire in the 1000 block of Post and Paddock Road. They arrived to heavy smoke billowing from a large warehouse complex that houses several businesses.
The fire continued to grow and by 3 a.m. Tuesday, it had built to a 4-alarm inferno that called for Arlington firefighters to help battle the blaze while Dallas, DFW Airport, and Irving fire departments manned fire stations in Grand Prairie.
"A Total Loss"
Over 400,000 square feet of warehouse space was destroyed in the fire, which is expected to continue buring for several days. At least two fire engines will stay at the scene to contain the fire until it is totally extinguished.
Numerous loud explosions were heard throughout the morning in the complex. The roof, walls, doors, and other internal structures have collapsed inside the buildings due to the blaze. Demolition of the building will begin today, according to fire officials. The building is expected to be declared a total loss.
Officials say enviromental personnel are in the field monitoring air and water quality for any issues due to the fire. A press release from the Grand Prairie Fire Department stated they expected no issues, though residents in surrounding area have reported seeing ashes and soot from the thick black smoke that billowed from the fire.
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"Wading Through Quick Sand"
Part of the warehouse involved contained a large amount of Monster canned drinks, with pallets of cans stacked up to 24 feet high. One of these pallets collapsed on crews at one point in the night as they searched for the fire's origin point.
"Wading out from the collapse felt like quick sand," said Grand Prairie Fire Chief Clif Nelson. "Everyone got out safely, our equipment did what it was supposed to do, our personnel worked together to ensure the safe evacuation of the team."
NFI Industries, a freight trucking and logistics company, and Pitney Bowes, a direct mail advertising company, are both housed in the complex. Employees of one of the businesses were evacuated around midnight Monday as the fire spread toward their end of the building.
No firefighter or civilian injuries were reported.
NBCDFW's Greg Janda and Julie Tam contributed to this report.
