Early this morning, a warehouse fire at Nando Grill in northwest Miami-Dade prompted an emergency response from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) teams, with the first alert coming in around 7:20 a.m. Heavy smoke billowed from the rear of the structure, located at the 8300 block of Northwest 70th Street, drawing 30 units to engage with the fire, as reported by WSVN.
Upon arrival, the MDFR found themselves facing a serious blaze which had been fast to escalate, and firefighters were witnessed by Jolena Esperto from Local 10 conducting ladder operations to access the roof, a move that is indicative of both the gravity and the urgency of the situation where firefighters gained access to the inside of the structure to locate the fire, crews conducted ladder operations gaining access to the roof to ventilate "First arriving units found heavy smoke coming from the rear of the warehouse," MDFR stated in an email to Local 10 News. The fire was subsequently upgraded to a second-alarm, signaling the need for additional manpower and resources to quell the conflagration.
Although the fire's origins are yet to be determined, the proactive actions of the crews saw the majority of the flames suppressed within the hour, as affirmed by NBC Miami - most of the fire had been knocked down by 8:30 a.m., leaving crews to manage smoldering remains and to properly ventilate the structure. Nando Grill, a local venture that originated as a catering service and food truck, now boasts several restaurant locations around South Florida and is a known name amongst the community.
No injuries have been recorded, WSVN confirm that despite the swift action and necessities of a second alarm, the safety of the firefighting personnel and public remained intact; firefighting teams continued to monitor the scene for any latent hotspots ensuring that there would be no resurgence, MDFR in a statement told WSVN, "crews remained on the scene to monitor the structure for any hotspots" signifying a careful winding down of what could have been a more catastrophic event for all involved.
