A forklift fire at a Tampa salvage yard on Saturday set approximately 20 vehicles ablaze and resulted in one person being hospitalized, reports FOX 13 News. According to the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR), emergency crews responded to multiple 911 calls around 3 p.m. They were faced with intense flames upon arrival, which quickly enveloped nearby cars. Lightning in the vicinity forced aerial trucks to temporarily pause operations, adding to the challenges including initial water supply issues.
HCFR managed to largely control the fire in less than an hour, despite having to quickly establish a continuous water flow to counter the spread of flames. In a press release obtained by WTSP, they stated, "Crews initially faced water supply challenges but were able to establish a continuous flow to support two aerial trucks used to suppress the fire from above." Although one individual was seriously injured with burn injuries and transported to a local trauma center, no first responders were reported injured.
The HCFR continued to tackle the fire using foam to extinguish lingering hotspots even after the main blaze was brought under control. According to coverage from WFLA, the situation was declared extinguished after about two hours, and an investigation into the cause of the forklift fire has begun. The full extent of the damage to the salvage yard's property, aside from the roughly 20 cars reported, has yet to be determined.
While the fire crews were able to rapidly respond to the incident, the brief grounding of aerial operations due to storm conditions presented an unexpected obstacle. "Lightning in the area forced the two aerial trucks to temporarily pause operations," HCFR reported in a statement obtained by FOX 13 News. The identity of the hospitalized individual and the current status of their condition have not been made public at this time. The fire department has not yet released details regarding the potential cause of the forklift that started the fire, as inquiries are ongoing.
