PHILADELPHIA --
Firefighters were watering down the last sputtering embers of a massive six-alarm fire that boke out in a warehouse near the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge early Tuesday morning.
Fire investigators were still trying to figure out what sparked the blaze, but said no one was inside the large structure when the fire started. At its peak, flames roared high into the sky and were clearly visible from Interstate 95 near the Cottman Exit. While firefighters worked to douse the blaze before the sun rose, the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge was temporarily closed. It has since reopened.
The fire was reported at Milnor Street and Robbins Avenue just after midnight, and by 1 a.m. fire crews struck a fourth alarm as the flames spread to several buildings.
The nearby bridge over the Delaware River was soon shut down in both directions, police said.
A fire official said a number of factors, including the fires location near a highway, river and railroad, low water pressure and the flammable contents of the warehouse made it tough to put out the flames.
Authorities said the fire started in the main building of L&R Shipping, located on the 5000 block of Robbins Street, and then spread to surrounding buildings.
The main wall collapsed and a fire boat was brought in to assist with water supply on the Delaware River.
According to its Web site, the family-owned company carries a large inventory of standard shipping supplies, specializing in custom foam and corrugated packaging.
"We understand there was Styrofoam in there. It made for a very hot fire, a fast moving fire," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said .
He and other officials were still investigating.
