Diesel fire burns at Port Manatee

Manatee County fire crews are fighting a blaze burning a large tank holding thousands of gallons of diesel fuel at Port Manatee.

The fire was first reported Sunday night around 7:45 p.m. at 804 N. Dock Street at the port. Several Manatee County fire departments —North River, Southern Manatee, East Manatee, Parrish and Bradenton — have responded to the scene, as well as units from Hillsborough County, which delivered foam use to fight the blaze, officials said.

North River Fire Chief Michael Rampino said the fire was burning in a storage tank, known as a barrel, that can hold between 55,000 to 60,000 gallons of fuel. Rampino said the structure’s roof had collapsed.

When they got to the scene, firefighters described the blaze as active and discussed defensive strategies.

The fire broke out at a TransMontaigneoil building at the port, according to public safety officials. TransMontaigneoil is a oil pipeline and terminal company based in Denver.

As of 9:45 p.m. the fire was still ongoing.

It is not known how the fire started. No injuries have been reported, officials said.

Stay with Bradenton.com for details.

This story was originally published July 22, 2018 at 8:56 PM.