CAMDEN, N.J. (June 10, 2011) — A 12-alarm fire June 9 destroyed an abandoned tire warehouse in Camden, burned at least 10 residential homes and sent three firefighters to the hospital during the extreme heat, according to a report on Fox TV Channel 29 in Philadelphia.
The fire broke out about 4 p.m. in a former Reliable Tire Co. building, located near Chestnut and Orchard streets, and wasn't under control until nearly five hours later, the TV station reported, adding that “people at the scene said the building still had a number of tires inside.”
Firefighters from four counties were called to assist in fighting the blaze, which stretched out over the complex of buildings and belched thick black smoke into the sky. Water to put on the fire needed to be drafted from the Delaware River, Fox Television Stations Inc. said.
The heat from the fire as well as the weather created difficult conditions for firefighters, the TV station said, with heat exhaustion resulting in some being brought to a hospital for treatment.
The report said a shelter had been established for the residents of nearby homes that caught fire.