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Crews Battle 3-Alarm Fire In South Hillsborough County

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TBO.com

Published: September 27, 2008

Updated: 09/28/2008 12:38 am

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews fought a three-alarm structure fire at a liquid and dry bulk handling service in southern Hillsborough late Saturday.

Fire Capt. Bruce Delk said before 10 p.m. a train car was unloading ammonium nitrate at Kinder Morgan, 4310 Pendola Point, when the rubber on the conveyor belt carrying the chemical caught fire.

The belt and the now-burning chemical continued on to a small shed-like building, where the conveyor belt split into two more belts heading toward two storage buildings. The burning belt and chemicals continued toward the buildings, one of which contained ammonium nitrate, but Delk said the building's sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading beyond the belt.

The other building contained no chemicals, Delk said.

There were no injuries, and the fire was contained before midnight.

Delk said 21 units responded to the fire, meaning about 70 people responded to the scene. He said that many units were needed because of the heights of the storage buildings – about 40 to 50 feet high – required ladder trucks.

He said ammonium nitrate is an inhalation irritant when it catches fire.

Ammonium nitrate, which is used in fertilizers, was used in the bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995.

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