Update 9:40 p.m. Thursday:
City officials have released new information on the fire, which took place at a warehouse that held mattresses. The release says the fire began while an employee was “disassembling mattresses for recycling.” They are still looking into the exact cause.
Everyone inside the building made it out safely before first responders arrived. No one was hurt.
Half of the building collapsed; the other half was protected by a fireproof wall. A business across the street “sustained smoke and water damage,” according to the city.
39 people responded to the fire, which was brought under control in about an hour and a half.
Update 3 p.m. Thursday:
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls Fire/Rescue says that the fire at a warehouse near 500 N. Kiwanis has now been contained, but is not out.
Kelo.com News Reporter Anson Mareus reports from the scene that the high wind was adding an extra challenge to the firefighting. It was difficult to breathe because of the smoke. He says Kiwanis was still closed from 9th and Kiwanis to the north.
(Anson Mareus and Mark Russo, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
Original story:
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls Fire Rescue is responding to what appears to be a major fire near 500 N. Kiwanis Ave.
Smoke can clearly be seen from downtown Sioux Falls.
KELO.com News’s Tom Mitchell was near the scene just before 1 p.m.
“So we’re looking at a warehouse that is engulfed in flames,” Mitchell said. “Sioux Falls Fire Rescue has a number of vehicles. There’s lots of Sioux Falls Police in the area, a lot of black smoke.”
Mitchell says the traffic in the area near 3rd Street and Kiwanis was “crazy.” He said the police kept him from getting any closer to the blaze and were keeping people out of the area.
“I would just encourage people to stay away from the area,” Mitchell said. “We don’t need more people over here.”
It is unconfirmed, but KELO.com News has learned that the fire is in a mattress warehouse with perhaps a hundred or so mattresses in it. We’ve put in a call to SFFR for confirmation and additional details.
This is a developing story.
(Tom Mitchell and Denzil Bursey, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
