Hancock Ave. General Alarm (Bridgeport, CT) 7/6/10

BRIDGEPORT, CT – At approximately 8:00 am on July 6, 2010, the Bridgeport Fire Department was dispatched to 201 Hancock Avenue for a fire in a metal recycling plant. First in units found heavy smoke pushing from the one-story commercial building. An aggressive interior attack was commenced but was soon abandoned due to heavy explosions and minor collapses of equipment and shelving on the interior of the structure. It was reported that the fire at MJ Metals was fueled by magnesium shavings, lubricating oils, pallets, and many other combustibles. The incident soon escalated to a general alarm, resulting in every fire suppression unit in the city to be present due to the oppressive weather conditions with a heat index above 100 degrees. Mutual aid was called in to cover city firehouses but were soon put to work when calls came in for fire showing from windows on the 10th floor of Embassy Towers. This would be the third fire in the city in approximately 12 hours.