SCRANTON -- Fire crews battled a stubborn, smoky fire for hours at a tire warehouse before flames finally broke through the roof, leading to the collapse of two of the building's walls.
The fire started around 5 p.m. Wednesday at a warehouse on Wyoming Avenue owned by Sandone Tire. The building is filled with thousands of tires.
Officials said the reason it's so difficult to put out the flames is because the building is so old and insulated mostly with cork and sawdust, keeping the heat in.
According to the fire chief, the fire was called in as smoke coming from the elevator shaft, but after hours of putting water through the windows and searching, firefighters could not locate the fire itself.
Crews said all but two of the upper floors of the building are used for tire storage.
Black smoke poured from the building Wednesday evening.
After power to the elevator was shut off, there was no way for firefighters to get to the upper floors in the building, so they could only fight it from the outside, chipping away at the bricks to get access.
Firefighters tried to get inside the building from the back. Two firefighters were missing for a short time when they lost their hose in the heavy smoke. One was checked out for smoke inhalation and was given oxygen. They were not seriously hurt.
"I looked out the window, and I saw this tremendous fire- from six blocks away, and the flames were shooting four stories into the air, there were explosions. Sounds like the roof collapsed," said a man from Scranton.
The roof of the building did collapse after emergency crews were pulled out from being inside of the building,
The fire chief said this fire could be burning for days.
Due to road closures in Scranton, there will be no COLTS bus service on Washington or Wyoming Avenue from Mulberry to Ash Street. Routes 12, 14, 15, 53 will use their regular route to Vine Street to Jefferson Ave to regular route. Routes 41 and 52 will use Mulberry Street to Capouse Avenue to Ash Street for their regular route.
Below are some WNEP Insider photos and videos from the scene
