Weather may have played a role in massive warehouse fire in Cleveland

Published: Feb. 3, 2019 at 1:20 PM EST
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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Cleveland Fire crews were called to the scene of a massive warehouse fire on Industrial Parkway around 4:50 a.m. on Sunday.

"We had gas bubbling up through that puddle on the outside of the building. That was an interesting look - something you don't see everyday," described Lt. Mike Norman, spokesperson for the Cleveland Fire Department.

Norman says it looks like the fire started with a warehouse in the middle of a large building.

"It appears that there was a gas leak that ignited the fire. So there was a number of those warehouses that were involved in the fire," said Norman.

Fire crews had to wait for Dominion Energy to shut off gas to the building before they could get the fire under control.

One man, who wanted to remain unidentified, but who says he personally used the warehouse for storage, reported that Sixth City Brewing Company and a Coats for Kids office were destroyed in the fire.

Special effects supplier Monster Makers narrowly escaped the fire.

Luckily, no one was hurt.

Turns out weather may have been a factor.

“We were very busy yesterday with the after effects of the freeze - we had the deep freeze and so, we had a number of water pipe issues, sprinkler line issues that our companies were out handling those issues all day long,” added Norman.

Preliminary Damage estimates are in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Neil Durbin, a spokesperson for Dominion Energy, says that Dominion Energy is right now helping fire investigators determine the exact cause of the fire.

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