RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A massive fire Sunday night at a thrift store shut down a stretch of Broadway Avenue in Riviera Beach.
The fire started at Jesus and You Outreach Ministries in the 2800 block of Broadway Avenue, just north of Blue Heron Boulevard.
Firefighters said the flames erupted just before 8 p.m.
A Riviera Beach police officer who was on patrol in the area saw smoke coming from the building.
Firefighters arrived and found the building was fully engulfed.
Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the air for miles.
More than 50 firefighters from multiple agencies, including West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County, battled the flames.
"This type of structure poses a significant number of challenges, simply because of the fuel load," Riviera Beach Fire Rescue Chief John Curd said. "You have furniture. You have clothing. You have books. You have plastics. You have a lot of different materials in there that contribute to the fire, so this isn't your average fire."
The Riviera Beach fire chief says the fire is under control they are putting hotspots out. RBPD says it happened at Jay’s ministries thrift store. No injuries. @WPTV https://t.co/14kS1uUEIk pic.twitter.com/xQvrjYU5ln
— JOSH NAVARRO (@JoshNavarroTV) April 26, 2021
The north and southbound lanes of Broadway Avenue were closed for several hours.
Curd said there were no injuries. The cause of the fire will be investigated through the state's fire marshal.