A plant nursery in Kissimmee, Florida caught fire on Thursday, Feb 16. Thankfully no one has been injured because of this fire, but this incident has raised many questions. How did the fire start, is it safe to be in the area, and what does this mean for our environment?
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. The company, Nursery Supplies, Inc., manufactures pallets that hold plastic planters, some stacked up to 10 feet high. These plastic planters contain hazardous chemicals from the burning plastic. The fire spread from two to five acres of land. What didn’t help was the fact that there was a propane tank located inside the area. This mix of fire and gas leads to an explosive inferno.
There was assistance from Orange County, Osceola Country, and Polk Country. It took firefighters 12 hours and 4,500 gallons of water per minute to extinguish the fire. Firefighter Chief Haskett put out a statement recommending individuals with breathing problems stay indoors.
The air quality is being monitored because of the extensive smoke. The fire kept releasing thick dark clouds into the air to the point where the smoke was traveling. The roads surrounding the area were closed off to protect the civilians. It took several hours for the roads to open back up to the public. Many people were stuck in traffic.
The most intriguing part of this incident is the fact that there was no electricity in the building. So how did the fire start? This question won’t be answered for a while. With the fire finally being put out all that’s left behind are charred plant pots. There is a massive amount of melted plastic at the nursery and that clean-up time is not going to go by fast.
Since the fire has been put out, most of the smoke has left the area. Lots of it traveled in the air to surrounding areas until there was no more. But this isn’t a good thing.
There is no possible way any of this can have a good impact on our environment. The toxins in the smoke can’t be contained when it burns. Our Earth is already dealing with so much, yet this is another thing added to the list.
This isn’t the only fire to happen in Florida, especially within a close time. In Doral, there was a renewable energy power plant fire that took a week to be put out. These types of incidents aren’t getting much coverage from the news. A lot is going on in the world, but this can directly impact Orlando. The nursery is only 13 miles away from Walt Disney World and 21 miles from Universal Studios Orlando. The surrounding cities can feel the impact more especially with the air quality.
HAZMAT and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were on the scene to monitor the smoke in the area. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. An investigation will start once everything is under control.