'You could hear cars blowing up,' witness says of Sanford warehouse fire

SANFORD, Fla. — Witnesses said things started getting scary Thursday night as firefighters in Seminole County fought a 2-alarm fire in Sanford.

The fire broke out at a warehouse in the 3700 block of Sanford Avenue, near Orlando-Sanford International Airport, just before 10 p.m.

Brett Cooper was in the area at the time and said the response of emergency personnel was quick and significant.

“I called (911) at 9:55 p.m. and I mean, there were probably 15 fire trucks within 10 minutes,” he said. “I mean, they were pouring in there.”

Cooper said the warehouse, which has been vacant for years, was used for auto auctions at some point.

“They have abandoned cars on the inside, so you could hear cars blowing up (during the fire),” he said.

Lake Mary Boulevard was closed from Mellonville Avenue to State Road 427, and Sanford Avenue was closed from Lake Mary Boulevard to Pine Way Avenue as emergency workers responded to the fire.

The roadways have since reopened.

Authorities have not released information on the cause of the fire.

Cox Media Group