WEBSTER CO., KY (WFIE) -
Firefighters had a busy morning in Webster County.
They spent several hours putting out a fire at S and S Salvage along Highway 41A in Providence. The highway was closed for about three hours while fire crews worked the scene.
U.S. Highway 41A is back open again and the owners of S and S Salvage continue to pour water over what is left of the fire, and clear debris with a bulldozer. Earlier on Wednesday, it took several fire departments hours to contain the blaze.
"It had a pretty big bite before we even got here. We could see shortly after we pulled out of the station, we knew we had a big fire out here," said Assistant Fire Chief William Lantrip with Providence Fire Dept.
The thick black smoke could be seen for miles as the fire spread quickly to rubber tires and other materials.
"Significant fire, a lot of smoke, so we closed 41A, called the highway department to help set up barricades," said Providence Police Chief Brent McDowell.
About four miles of Highway 41A were closed while crews battled the fire. Fire departments from three areas responded. Lantrip says the owner told them the fire started in the morning after he brought in a van for scrap metal.
"As they unloaded the van, it erupted into flames and he was trying to get it out of the debris, but it landed in the debris," Lantrip said.
"If that battery is not taken out, it could hit a wire, break a wire, it has electricity to it and it catches fire," McDowell said.
No one was injured, but crews say the owners have a lot invested in what went up in flames.
"He's bought every bit of that scrap that's burnt up. He's lost something. I would say it's going to be fairly high,"Lantrip said.
They tell 14 News they were worried about the fire spreading to a nearby assisted living home, but thankfully, the winds were blowing in the opposite direction.
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