Othón P. Blanco, Q.R. — Motorist reports of thick black smoke had Chetumal firemen scrambling to a property Thursday. Firefighters were met by two large metal containers that were burning out of control.
Inside the containers were old tires and plastic electronics. The burning debris sent the jet black smoke into the air, which was visible for kilometers from the federal highway.
Drivers traveling on the federal highway near the community of Huay-Pix reported the burning containers off the side of the road. The fires were noticed around 2:30 p.m. in two metal storage containers.
Following the report, Rural Police officers and personnel from the Othón P. Blanco Fire Department responded. They were eventually met by another firefighting unit who assisted firemen when their trucks ran out of water.
Reinforcements from the fire department and trucks from the Navy arrived to continue working to put the large container fires out. Authorities have not reported on a cause.
