Crews from four fire departments are on the scene of a blaze behind the Orange City Marketplace near the intersection of Saxon Boulevard and Enterprise Road. Construction materials that were stacked against a fence outside, including roofing materials and styrofoam panels, are burning, creating huge columns of smoke which may be seen from the roadways.
“I can’t tell until we get in there and take a look,” Orange City Fire Marshal Robert Scott replied when asked about the cause of the fire. “The smoke is an issue and there are small flames in the materials.”
Scott also said there also may be some damage to porches of private homes not far from the fire, in Woodlands of Glen Abbey, a nearby neighborhood.
So far no one has been injured, but Scott said the smoke is “very toxic” and could cause injury if breathed in for significant amounts of time. The direction of smoke is constantly changing in the windy conditions, Beacon reporter Al Everson said from the scene.
Fire crews are using an excavator to remove the material, and then dousing the deep-seated flames.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.