Evansville firefighters battle blaze at warehouse complex

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Firefighters in southwestern Indiana were battling a large fire Monday that has left an Evansville warehouse complex in ruins and produced a smoke plume visible for miles around.

Evansville Fire Department spokesman Mike Larson said about “every truck in the city” was at the scene of the warehouse fire, which began just before 5 a.m. CDT. along Evansville’s Morton Avenue.

Smoke billowing from the fire was so thick and intense it was clearly visible on weather radar in the city, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.

Larson said Evansville’s fire department was trying to determine how many buildings have been damaged by the fire in the city located about 170 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis.

Video footage of the scene showed that by mid-morning Monday flames were still rising from multiple collapsed buildings in a large area and were producing smoke plumes.

Authorities closed the Lloyd Expressway near the Evansville’s Division Street and U.S. 41 exits and asked motorists to avoid the area.