MADISON – One employee is reportedly hospitalized with burns after a warehouse fire at Interco – a Metaltronics Recycler – near the World Wide Technology Raceway on Wednesday afternoon.
Thankfully, no first responders were injured at the scene and two buildings have been reported destroyed in the terrible blaze. Cars that were parked near the warehouse did catch on fire. An estimated 200 first responders from Illinois and Missouri were at the scene.
A roof collapsed around the lunch hour at the warehouse scene. While the Riverbender.com photographer was present at the fire, there was an explosion that released a huge boom during the fighting of the blaze. He said after the large boom, an official then came over the loudspeaker and warned the entire City of Madison residents to go to their homes, close the doors and windows, and turn off anything that pulls air from the outside. A stay-at-home order was issued at that time for the Madison residents.
An emergency declaration has been made at the county and state levels, Madison Mayor John Hamm said. Smoke was viewed 5,000 feet in the air from the blaze, St. Louis area weather officials have reported.
The origin of the fire has not yet been released.
John Hentrich also contributed to this story.
