MUSCATINE, Iowa — Update: Crews spent over seven hours on scene of a three-alarm junk yard fire on Thursday.
According to a news release from the Muscatine Police Department, firefighters responded to a call of a structure fire about 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 16 at Muscatine Metals, located on 2407 Dick Drake Way.
A large pile of metals, mostly vehicles, caught fire and began spreading towards Musco Lighting. Crews battled the fire before declaring it under control at 3 p.m. Fire crews remained on scene until 6 p.m. in case any hot spots reignited.
No injuries were reported, and fire loss was unknown because mostly scrapped vehicles were involved.
Police said the cause remained under investigation as of Thursday night, but preliminary findings pointed toward an accidental fire.
Original: A fire caused heavy smoke and road closures Thursday morning, Dec. 16 at Muscatine Metals.
According to a Facebook post from the City of Muscatine, Dick Drake Highway was closed at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday from U.S. 61 to Stewart Road after a structure fire broke out at a waste management facility nearby.
The city advised the public to steer clear of the area do to the clouds of heavy black smoke coming from the burning building.
The size of the fire allowed it to show up on U.S. National Weather Service radar, as shown in a Facebook post from Eastern Iowa Fireground Photos.
