Posted on 03/23/2011 11:34:15 PM PDT by bimboeruption
Miami-Dade firefighters were battling a major fire at Miami International Airport early Thursday.
Drivers could see smoke billowing from the airport as they drove on nearby State Road 836 shortly after 11 p.m. The fire started Wednesday night and raged into early Thursday morning.
The fire was at a fuel tank farm in the southeast corner of the airport, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Eric Baum said. The fire was not near runways or the terminals, he said.
An airport spokeswoman said that, as of 1 a.m., only one flight had been delayed.
But getting the fire under control would take significant manpower. Early Thursday, Baum said fire rescue had 20 units on scene, all working to contain the blaze. Their strategy, he said, was to let the tanks already on fire burn off while protecting the other tanks.
Firefighters were using tall ladder trucks to lob water onto tanks that needed protection from catching fire, Baum said. Firefighters also were working with airport personnel to shut off the flow of fuel to the tanks.
“This is an extremely dangerous operation,” Baum said. “It’s very fluid. Our tactics right now are to prevent additional tanks from catching fire.”
Travelers who had questions about whether their flights were affected were told to check with their individual airlines for updates.
Early Thursday, firefighters still were not sure exactly how many tanks were ablaze. They also did not know what started the fire.
You’ve probably heard about this already, but thought I’d give you a ping anyway. (update to story, terminal J evacuated)
Well.... `tarmac’ was the first airport word I could think of that means “unauthorized entry prohibited”.
Tank fuel farms, by their dangerous nature, MUST be isolated from the rest of the aerodrome environment.
But... shouldn’t that make them easier to secure? Fenced in and guarded? The bowsers don’t even get inside the TF perimeter; they fill up at remote pumps.
Worse than sabotage, I smell P.C. coverup.
Great tagline!
bttt
Thanks LLS.
Thanks FreeBird850.
You betcha.
LLS
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