More than 100 firefighters worked to put out a fire at a St. Petersburg commercial storage facility on Tuesday afternoon. The fire started around 3 p.m. at Ocal Storage, located at 3160 Morris Street North in St. Petersburg.
St. Pete Fire Rescue told FOX 13 that nobody was in the building when they arrived. The storage facility has a total of 30 units, with 15 in the front and 15 in the back. Firefighters said the fire started in the middle of the building, adding that the fire is difficult to fight because the units are unregulated, meaning anything can be stored inside. A spokesperson with St. Pete Fire Rescue said that firefighters have found propane tanks, acetylene tanks and two forklifts with fuel.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Brett Ciskoski also called it a complex fire to battle because of the age of the structure and windy conditions on Tuesday. He said many of the items inside units are total losses from fire, smoke and water damage. Firefighters are expected to stay at the storage facility through the night, fighting some remaining hot spots.
