Fire hits Jacksonville importer
A fast-burning fire swept through a newly-opened warehouse location for a Jacksonville company that imports wrought-iron furniture from China and repackages it for distribution in the U.S.
The fire Tuesday caused major damage to the warehouse of Soylu Enterprises, a report in the Florida Times-Union said. The fire started in a converted walk-in cooler that was being used as a workroom, when sparks from a grinder hit the floor.
The report said it appeared flammable materials used by a previous tenant had left a coating on the floor, which quickly ignited and spread through the room, which also contained cardboard shipping materials.
There were no serious injuries reported, but it took more than 50 firefighters with a dozen engines and two ladder trucks more than 90 minutes to contain the fire. The report said the fire burned boxes of wrought iron furniture and weakened the 20,000-square-foot brick building. The company had only been in the warehouse for one week.