By Bert Gambini & Eileen Buckley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-923058.mp3
Buffalo, NY – Heavy thick smoke and flames poured out of a warehouse in the early morning hours Thursday.
Flames broke out after 4 a.m. at 136 Dingens Street, a pallet warehouse, between Odgen and Bailey. That's near the Buffalo-Cheektowaga border on the City's far East Side. The fire quickly rose to 3-alarms. The fourth alarm was called around 6:30 a.m.
The fire destroyed a 50-thousand foot industrial warehouse at Superior Pallet Services. The blaze was brought under control just after 8 o'clock Thursday morning.
Firefighters dealt with a series of explosions from propane tanks inside the building used to power fork lifts.
Thousands of wooden pallets are inside the warehouse.
Flames were clearly visible to commuters heading north on the 190 and as far away as Orchard Park.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield updated reporters late Thursday afternoon at the site of the Dingens Street blaze.
Whitfield called the efforts by firefighters "miraculous" as they worked to keep the blaze contained. Unfortunately five firefighters were hurt, but they are not life-threatening injuries.
"We have a person in the hospital right now with respiratory distress," said Whitfield.
One remains hospitalized, others were treated and released.
According to Superior Pallets Website, it is one of the largest pallet suppliers in the region. It also recycles used pallets.
Superior operates in a 50,000 square foot warehouse on Dingens. It's located on 14 acres. In 2008, Superior process 800,000 pallets.
A local company is already reaching out to Superior Pallets as it deals with the aftermath of this fire. John Emerling of ECS Warehouse on Fillmore Avenue in Buffalo said his company wants to offer Superior emergency storage space.
"When we heard your report on the radio this morning about the tragedy Superior Pallets, the first thing I thought of was if they needed temporary space We have space and we would be happy to accommodate them without charge," said Emerling.
ECS is a food warehouse in Buffalo. Emerling noted it is a real tragedy for Superior Pallets and a horror for the owners to watch their business go up in smoke and flames.