Hurricane Debris Site Burns In Two-Alarm Fire: St. Pete Fire Rescue

Crime & Safety

Hurricane Debris Site Burns In Two-Alarm Fire: St. Pete Fire Rescue A scrap yard that accepted storm debris from the public after Hurricanes Milton and Helene caught fire Thursday, St. Pete Fire Rescue said.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A scrap yard is burning in a two-alarm fire Thursday afternoon, according to a St. Petersburg Fire Rescue news release.

A large debris pile caught fire at the back of the lot of Aceros America St. Pete, 2550 30th Ave. N.

The full-service metal scrap recycling facility recently opened its doors to the public to help with the disposal of hurricane debris, the agency said.

After SPFR received a call about the fire just before 2 p.m., firefighters responded to the site.

Workers at the salvage yard initially tried to put the fire out with fire extinguishers, but it quickly grew.

Residents in the nearby Ponce De Leon neighborhood were evacuated from the area because of the large amounts of smoke, the agency said.

All streets from Morris Street to 28th Street and from 30th Avenue to 26th Avenue have been blocked off.

Fire rescue crews are expected to remain on the scene over the next several hours.

Power lines have been affected by the fire and Duke Energy has been contacted, SPFR said.

While the fire is still active, it's been contained to the pile. The fire's cause is so far undetermined.