Savannah Fire: 5,600 Tons Of Rubber Burn, Cause Unknown


A massive fire at the Port of Savannah on Saturday needed specialist fire crews to get the rubber fueled blaze under control. More than 5,600 tons of the flammable material caught fire at a warehouse, and huge black plumes of smoke rose into the sky.

Even though local fire crews had the blaze contained by late Saturday, they confirmed that it could take a number of days for the fire to die down completely. The blaze started inside a large warehouse spanning roughly 226,000 square feet at the Ocean Terminal. not far from downtown Savannah.

Mark Keller, a spokesman for the Savannah Fire and Emergency Services said about the blaze: “It is contained. Will it burn all night? There’s no telling. It’s solid blocks of rubber that are burning.”

In order to fight the fire, Keller said firefighters were attacking the root of the blaze from three sides and using specialist pumps to suck water in from the Savannah River through water cannons.

Thankfully, all port workers have been accounted for, and no injuries from the Savannah fire have been reported. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Keller did go on to warn local residents and tourists alike to remain indoors as much as possible due to smoke exposure from the rubber: “Please limit the time you’re out. If you’re finished at the restaurant or finished with shopping, go back to your hotel room or go home.”

Due to the sheer ferocity of the Savannah fire. crews won’t even be able to investigate what may have sparked it until at least Sunday.

Keller confirmed the fire department’s strategy for dealing with the fire: “Solid rubber blocks, they’re going to burn and we’re going to keep putting water on it. We’ll just do it until the fire’s out,” he said.

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