NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Firefighters worked swiftly to contain a massive fire that broke out Thursday morning at a mobile home park in Northwest Miami-Dade.
The intense first-alarm fire was sparked just before 8:00 a.m., at the J Bar J mobile home park near the 2900 block of Northwest 79th Street.
Crews arrived at the location to find two mobile home fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters were seen going in and out of units and searching them for any people or animals that could be inside.
Sparking powerlines above the mobile homes created an even more hazardous situation as crews work to contain the blaze.
The closely compacted lot made it especially harder for crews to maneuverer and get their trucks and heavy equipment inside the area to begin their defensive attack to knock the fire down.
Strong winds also made it difficult for crews to knock down the fire and played a part in its rapid spread.
"One of the initial challenges that we faced coming with any type of structure like this is the congestion and the tight quarters of getting in here," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chef Michael Eng. "A lot of the apartments are tightly packed together, there's a lot of debris and material as well. In addition, we had an extremely windy morning, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, which added another level of challenge."
Eng said there were no injuries but crews are searching the building as a precaution.
Trailers are often made of extremely flammable materials, like plastic and fiber glass, causing them to burn ferociously whenever they catch fire.
Onlookers were visibly distraught as the flames continued to burn, damaging many of their homes.
The fire couldn't come at a worse time, as Christmas is just two weeks away.
For Eng, the timing has been difficult.
"It's been especially difficult," he said. "These type of incidents are really difficult for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel in light of the holidays. In spit of that, we successfully extinguished the fire and saved surrounding apartments. It's not lost on us that several families have lost their homes and livelihoods this morning."
After fighting the blaze for a little under an hour, officials confirmed that the main body of the fire had been knocked down, but units are still working to put out hotspots.
Loved ones were seen waiting anxiously and found comfort in each other's embrace as they grappled with their new reality.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined by officials.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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