FLORESVILLE, Texas - A fireworks warehouse sparked by a nearby backyard barbeque fire is expected to continue to burn well into Wednesday and possibly Thursday. That’s according to Wilson County Fire Marshal Edwin Baker.
Baker said the fire north of Floresville along US Highway 181 started early Saturday afternoon and would take days to burn itself out. The condensed cardboard boxes, papers, and plastics inside the American Chinese Fireworks warehouse, as well as the extremely hot concrete and metal from the building itself will fuel the fire for days.
The fire marshal says the lingering fire does not pose a threat to the air quality.
Michael Blanquiz, co-owner of American Chinese Fireworks, said even though he has taken every precaution to keep something like this from happening, he said a simple barbeque fire led to it all going up in flames.
“The fire started across the street,"explained Blanquiz. "The neighbor was barbequing, and the neighbor said he did not know there was a fire ban.”
While a burn ban is in effect in Wilson County, Fire Marshal Baker said it does not affect outdoor barbeques, so nobody will face charges related to the accidental fire.
The fire burned an estimated 20 acres, taking in its path the warehouse and several trailers stocked with piles of fire works on the property.
With such a massive blaze of fireworks Blanquiz said it could have been much worse if the warehouse had been built differently.
“The building was made to collapse the way it is collapsing. It was made to collapse and make into a ball so that the fire works don't go further than what they need to,” explained Blanquiz.
Firefighters will remain on the scene to monitor the fire that caused an estimated $5 Million in damage. The warehouse is insured and the owners plan to rebuild their business.
