Metal scrapyard destroyed by fire in Dayton, Ohio

Franklin Iron & Metal Co., located in Dayton, Ohio was the site of a massive fire in May.

Thick plumes of smoke and flames 50 to 60 feet high could be seen from miles away.

The blaze started in a 50 foot pile of an estimated 3,000 junk cars.

Firefighters doused the scrap metal mountain with thousands of gallons of water. They also used 1,200 gallons of fire suppression foam.

Chief Herbert Redden of The Dayton Fire Department said, “This is an operation where you have cutting and welding. Depending on their staffing level, they have had people here cutting and welding till two or three in the morning.”

Investigators talked to employees who work at the scrap yard, hoping to figure out what sparked this massive blaze.

Nearly two thirds of The Dayton Fire Department’s resources were used in fighting the fire. Several firefighters had just gotten off work, only to be recalled to man other engines and protect the city.

Franklin Iron’s general manager, Greg Clouse, said he had no idea what sparked the fire and had no estimate of the cost of the damage.

The fire came two days after a bomb disposal unit from Wright Patterson Air Force Base removed an artillery shell from the scrapyard. Workers found the shell, which was eight inches in diameter and was thirty inches tall. The discovery closed about six blocks around the scrapyard for more than four hours.