Exploding propane tanks fuel large fire at Pompano Beach hazardous waste drop-off site
A large fire that broke out early Friday morning at a Broward County hazardous waste drop-off site involved hundreds of propane tanks.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue said around 6 a.m. they received a report of an explosion at the facility on N Powerline Road near W Copans Road.
"I see over here smoke and fire. I hear, boom, boom, boom, boom," Joel Mora said.
Mora said he was just arriving at work when the fire broke out and he heard a barrage of explosions.
"It's big, not small, it's big, I don't know how many times boom, boom, boom. I don't know how many times," he said.
When firefighters arrived, they encountered several hundred propane tanks on fire or exploding in the facility's storage yard.
"Our crews faced an extremely dangerous situation with hundreds of pressurized propane tanks involved," Fire Chief Pete McGinnis said.
They immediately began an aerial attack and requested a second ladder truck. Using two water sources, they were able to contain the rapidly spreading fire.
The intense heat and threat of further explosions posed a serious risk to nearby hazardous materials storage units, so firefighters worked quickly to protect them.
"Their quick actions and coordinated response helped prevent a much more severe incident," McGinnis said.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
