Massive tire fire sends heavy black smoke pouring into air

SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A massive fire in Avonmore, Armstrong County, caused 500 tires to burn sending thick black smoke into the air.

PHOTOS >>> Tire fire sends heavy black smoke pouring into air

It’s unclear exactly where the fire started at Stivason and Sons Trucking. Ten employees were at the North Long Run building when the fire started around 4 p.m. Monday.

The remote location is surrounded by woods and hundreds of tires that quickly went up in flames.

“They were trying to get the tires away to get the fire load away from the actual fire because it was already so intense,” said David Plavai, Elderton fire chief. “When I got here, the flames were shooting above that building.”

Plavai says when he got to the fire, the flames were shooting 40 feet into the air from the tires and part of the building that caught fire. The fire spread to nearby brush, but firefighters used brush trucks to get it under control before it spread.

Because the location is three miles away from a fire hydrant, more firefighters were called in to help shuttle water supply. A nearby “dry hydrant” was also helpful with supply.

Plavai said, “It’s a pipe they put into a pond and, like in a remote location, we can hook an engine up to it and start filling the tankers through that.”

Crews were able to contain the fire after several hours with minimal damage to the actual buildings. They say nearly 500 tires burned during the fire. A dump truck and a tractor that were near the back of the building were also destroyed.

Over a dozen fire companies were called to help fight the fire. We know that two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion. We’re told they’re both going to be OK. The state police fire marshal is investigating the cause.

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