More than 30 units from the St. Lucie Fire District battled and then monitored the massive fire at Liberty Tire Recycling in western St. Lucie County last week, remaining on the scene for 56 hours and 24 minutes.
The fire started around 8 a.m. last Thursday at the tire recycling plant in the 9600 block of Range Line Road. Plumes of black smoke could be seen miles away.
Crews were concerned the winds would spread the fire to the nearby chemical plant, but they were able to keep it contained to the tire facility.
“They kept a good watch,” Fire District spokeswoman Brenda Stokes said.
For all their work, two firefighters sustained heat-related injuries and were transported to an area hospital for treatment. Further information regarding their conditions was not released.
“I can’t say more,” Stokes said.
The Fire District said the fire started accidentally on a conveyor belt before spreading to nearby tires and materials.
The facility was quickly evacuated as fire crews arrived on scene. No other injuries were reported. Parts of the structure were compromised due to the fire. The fire’s total impact on the facility was not yet determined.
The State Fire Marshal is expected to investigate the cause of the fire.
