Massive fire engulfs former Bethlehem Steel plant outside Buffalo [WATCH]
by The Associated Press
Blaze at six-block-long plant burned out of control for nearly 24 hours, collapsing roof, sending clouds of black smoke into air; fire still burning, no injuries reported
LACKAWANNA, N.Y.—A massive blaze at a sprawling former steel mill outside Buffalo has been contained, though authorities say the fire could burn for days.
Fire crews remain at the scene of the blaze in Lackawanna early Nov. 10, nearly 24 hours after the fire started inside a massive building housing several businesses on the former Bethlehem Steel site.
More than 100 firefighters from Lackawanna, neighbouring Buffalo and other local communities struggled through the day to extinguish the blaze before officials deemed it contained late Wednesday night.
No injuries have been reported, but the fire sent massive clouds of black smoke billowing away from nearby homes.
Television news footage shows the six-block-long building engulfed in flames as the roof of the building collapses. The intense smoke, which could be seen for miles, prompted authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents.
The official cause of the fire remains unknown, but one Lackawanna official said it started when a hot light bulb fell on some combustibles.
Bethlehem Steel operated the Lackawanna facility for decades before ending operations in the 1980s. The property is now home to an industrial park that includes a Republic Steel manufacturing plant and a storage business.
News footage shows roof of massive complex collapse during the fire:
