May 8, 1997

Tires fuel junkyard fire

       A junkyard fire, fueled by more than 5,000 tires, could be seen for at least 20 miles Wednesday.  Firefighters were called at 3:37 p.m. Wednesday to the Brickyard Import Auto Salvage in Bethany, a small town south of Mooresville.  For three hours, 120 firefighters from 11 different departments battled the fire, which spewed thick black smoke and made popping noises as shock absorbers exploded.

         The fire began when employees were using a torch to disassemble a vehicle and a spark fell on combustible material, said Lt. Ela Johnson with the Brooklyn Fire Department.  Bargersville, Greenwood and White River Township fire departments were called to the scene.  Firefighters poured foam on the blaze to keep the fire under control.  “A tire fire is the most difficult fire to fight,” said Mike Pruitt, spokesman for Bargersville Fire Department.  “It’s a big mess. They can get it under control and reduce the smoke and flame, but they could spend a lot of time there.”  Johnson said that once the fire was contained, cars and tires were separated for firefighters to get at the hot spots.  Firefighters also had to take respiratory precautions because of toxic fumes from the tires.  No one was hurt in the blaze, and residents did not have to be evacuated because of the fumes.  Luckily, the “winds were in good condition and the smoke high enough to keep it away from the community” Johnson said.  She said the location of the blaze also helped firefighters.  While the junkyard is located on about 30 acres, Johnson said the fire was contained to only a couple of acres in an area where hills form a natural bowl.  Also, run off from the foam used to fight the fire is not expected to be a problem.  The Morgan County Red Cross assisted firefighters with beverages, and firefighters were careful to take breaks, Johnson said.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

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