BILLERICA, MASS. (WHDH) - Emergency crews responded in Billerica Friday after a three-alarm fire broke out in a junkyard.
SKY7-HD was over the scene off Town Farm Lane at Jack’s Used Auto Parts around 2:45 p.m. where a massive plume of smoke could be seen rising from a metal building within the junkyard.
Billerica fire officials said one person had been taken to the hospital with severe injuries.
The Billerica fire chief said the junkyard consists of a 50 foot by 100 foot steel building and several cars. Flames could be seen pouring out of the building and spreading to cars parked nearby. Several fire crews were spotted pouring water on the fire.
Crews said they had some difficulty controlling the fire because items of the property were exploding, and crews had difficulty establishing a water line with the nearest hydrant 1,800 feet away. The department requested back-up from nearby towns, and one hose burst in the process of controlling the fire.
“Looks more dramatic than you may see in a house fire because of the oil and the gas that’s burning,” Billerica Fire Chief Robert Cole said. “Because of the propane tanks, it keeps us from getting too close to the building.”
Officials determined the cause of the fire to be accidentally caused by a torch being used on a vehicle, Billerica fire announced.
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