Sep 30, 2007 10:49 am US/Central
Cleanup Continues After Hutchins Warehouse Fire
HUTCHINS (CBS) ―
As the smoke cleared Sunday morning, crews focused on cleaning up and determining the cause of a warehouse fire that sent smoke plumes and fireballs into the late night sky.
The intense warehouse fire kept Dallas County fire departments busy into the early morning hours and drew residents to the road side to watch all the action. More than a dozen trucks were used to battle the blaze.
"We saw the fire over the top," one witness said.
The fireballs reached hundreds of feet in the air as crews tried to prevent the flames from jumping from the warehouse to a nearby propane plant.
Officials said no one was injured.
During an early morning news conference at the scene, officials said the fire started at Manufacturing Specialties Incorporated, a 20-30,000 foot building. The company performs leather dyeing -- for belts, saddles, shoes and other products.
The first call was reported about 9:15 p.m. The intense fire made it difficult for crews to get near the fire.
Although authorities have not determined the exact cause of the fire, the highly flammable chemicals do not present an air hazard risk, they said.
"At one point, the flames looked like they could reach our building," said Dick Ray who works at a neighboring business that houses propane tanks.
Crews had the fire under control by early Sunday afternoon.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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