Fire burning 5,600 tons of rubber at Savannah port

[Redfairen]

Source: Associated Press

Firefighters battled a giant blaze fueled by 5,600 tons of rubber Saturday at the Port of Savannah, where a towering column of black smoke could be seen from miles away and prompted police to urge nearby hotels and college buildings to evacuate or keep people inside.

Firefighters were trying to contain and extinguish a fire raging inside a warehouse covering 226,000 square feet at the port's Ocean Terminal just west of downtown Savannah. The cause of the fire wasn't immediately known, but all port workers were accounted for and unharmed.

"The warehouse is full of rubber, so it's a rubber fire," said Robert Morris, spokesman for the Georgia Ports Authority.

Morris said a firewall so far had contained the fire to just half of the vast warehouse and the burning area contained about 5,600 tons of imported raw rubber used in manufacturing.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/fire-burning-5-600-tons-rubber-savannah-port-195233311.html

[WhiteTara]

1. well that fire won't be out until there is no fuel

and it takes a long time to burn rubber.

[Control-Z]

2. Nothing like the smell

of burning rubber. That would land me in the hospital if I were anywhere near. Migraine.

[greyl]

3. Video:

Not cool.

[Sunlei]

5. cool video! looks like a dark, thick toxic smoke!

[CFLDem]

4. Now they have their own tire fire!

Just like Springfield!

[frwrfpos]

6. awful

hope there are no injuries or deaths. Rubber burning is toxic stuff

[davidpdx]

7. That's going to be just great for the environment

Rubber fires, gas leaks, chemical spills, and who knows what else.

[alp227]

8. Updates

AP: Massive Ga. blaze is contained but still burning (7:29pm ET)

Savannah Morning News: Ports warehouse burns in Savannah (updated 12:33am)

[n2doc]

9. I drove by it yesterday

The main bridge over to South Carolina from Savannah is right next to it. Was an amazing sight, incredibly black column of smoke that rose up and drifted south-east over the city. Fortunately it seemed very buoyant, so it stayed up above us all. I would not want to have breathed that crap.