VIDEO: Firefighters in Topeka dealt with a large fire in the 1100 block of NE Wabash Monday afternoon.
Shawnee County Dispatch was encouraging drivers to stay away from the area while the department got the fire under control. Several structures were damaged, according to Allen Stahl, Public Education Officer with the Topeka Fire Department.
Firefighters have spoken to the owners, according to Stahl, and learned that the detached garage contained welding supplies that were venting gas during the fire. A reporter for KSNT who was on the scene said he heard several explosions which have since been identified as small arms ammunition that was “cooking off” in the detached garage. Stahl said firefighters did not try to enter any of the structures, for safety reasons.