Fire causes South Third Ring Road chaos

By Wang Wen and Cui Xiaohuo (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-04 09:27

A massive blaze brought chaos to the Third Ring Road yesterday morning, jamming traffic for two hours.

Firefighters deal with the aftermath of a blaze in Fengtai district yesterday morning. Traffic on the Third Ring Road was interrupted for much of the morning as a result of the fire. Mirror Evening News

The fire in Fengtai district, which broke out around 9 am, destroyed a 400-sq-m garage, causing between 100,000 and 150,000 yuan in damage.

Traffic was affected between Yuquanying and the west Third Ring Road between 9 am and 11 am, as thick smoke bellowed from the garage, apparently caused by burning foam stored inside.

"The smoke was heavy when I arrived and it was smelly. I felt a little difficulty in breathing," said Wang Weijun, manager of the garage.

Wang said firefighters kept him back from the building and evacuated employees. The building collapsed soon after, he said.

"I cannot exclude the possibility that someone set the fire," Wang said, adding that the two employees who were inside at the time told him the fire seemed to start inside and not outside the building.

There were no injuries.

"We will rebuild the garage after Spring Festival," he said.

Jue Zhiyong, a taxi driver who was getting his vehicle fixed two km away when the fire broke out, said it was difficult to miss.

"The area was covered in black smoke. I thought the warehouses in the area were all on fire. It was as if chemicals were burning; the black smoke was very heavy," Jue said.

As many as 14 fire trucks and 80 firefighters tackled the fire.

The cause is still under investigation, the Mirror Evening News reported yesterday.