Firefighters battle scrap yard fire near Manatee jail. You can see smoke from Bradenton
A two-alarm fire at a scrap yard in north Manatee County caused billowing smoke to rise up in the Bradenton area Friday afternoon.
Manatee County public safety officials announced that there were no injuries as a result of the fire in the 13800 block of Harlee Road in Palmetto, which is near the Manatee County Jail and SeaPort Manatee.
After battling the fire for nearly four hours, the North River Fire District said around 4 p.m. that the fire has been contained but it may take several more hours before it is completely out. Firefighters used a combination of foam and water to suppress the flames.
A picture from the scene shows heaping piles of scrap materials set ablaze. As of Friday afternoon, the cause of the fire was not immediately available.
The Bradenton Police Department shared another picture around 2 p.m. showing how the smoke could be seen from miles away, on the Bradenton side of the Manatee River. The agency described the blaze as a “massive fire” at the Aceros America scrap yard.
According to 911 operators, several engines are battling the fire at the scrap yard.
A spokesperson for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said the fire has not impacted operations at the jail, which remains open for inmate visitation. However, the sheriff’s office said Harlee Road is closed at this time.
This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 2:45 PM.
