St. Pete scrap metal fire forces nearby residents to evacuate

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A fire at a St. Petersburg scrap metal yard could be seen for miles on Thursday afternoon.

Few details have been released, but St. Petersburg Fire Rescue says a large pile of debris appears to have caught fire at Aceros America St. Pete, located at 2550 30th Ave N.

No injuries were reported by fire crews, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Early reports from firefighters, though, indicate that hurricane debris, including appliances and flammable insulation, motors and batteries, may have played a role.

The fire has since been extinguished. Firefighters say residents were evacuated from the Ponce De Leon neighborhood due to the large amounts of smoke, but have since been allowed to return.

St. Pete Police also blocked off all streets from Morris Street to 28th Street and from 30th Avenue to 26th Avenue while crews extinguished the fire. All surrounding streets have been reopened.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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