The fire started around 3 p.m. and is fought by about 20 fire crews.
A voracious fire, with flames several meters high and dense columns of smoke that can be seen from several kilometers away, consumed plastic material stored in the Cabelma factory, located in the Buenos Aires town of General Pacheco, firefighters reported.
The incident began around 3 p.m. and is was fought by about 20 fire crews from all neighboring districts, who must attack the flames from various sides, as the fire spread across a front of about 200 meters.
Jose Cornejo, head of the General Pacheco Fire Department, told Télam: “This fire is very violent and until now we have not been able to contain it due to the combustible material found inside the factory.”.
“Fortunately, we have already been able to avoid the danger of it spreading to neighboring houses and we did not have any more affected personnel,” said Cornejo, who stressed that the fire “is not yet under control,” so they will continue to “work from various fronts.”
The head of the Pacheco barracks estimated that “in the early hours of tomorrow (Sunday) they will only” be able to “put out the fire.”
Neighbors evacuated themselves from the surroundings of the factory.
“The smoke is slightly toxic, but we had several firefighters affected by heat stroke due to the high temperatures, who have already been transported by ambulances.”
In addition, he indicated that “all the neighbors evacuated themselves” and ruled out “danger of collapse or explosions.”
The fire started in a disused warehouse and then took over the entire company, so the destruction is total, “he specified and indicated that an attempt is being made to attack the flames with hydraulic lifts on different fronts.
The neighbors evacuated themselves from the surroundings of the factory, located in Arévalos 3435, of General Pacheco, which is dedicated to the manufacture of plastic boxes for bottles and baskets, among other elements.
Neighbors alerted the Tigre Police about the burning of grasslands at one of the factory gates, which is considered as a hypothesis of the start of the fire.
The firefighters also evaluate if the material that is burning and is on the walls generates some type of collapse.
The consulted spokesmen did not report on victims, although they confirmed that many residents evacuated themselves by the flames, whose smoke can be seen from the City of Buenos Aires.