A fire broke out in a building used to train firefighters – Telemundo Miami (51)

MIAMI, Fla. – A fire broke out in a building across from Miami International Airport Friday morning, apparently used for firefighter training, leaving one person injured and taken to a major trauma center.

The Miami-Dade County Fire Department confirmed that the fire is under control and that the injured person is not an employee of the Miami-Dade Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The incident occurred at 10:42 a.m. when the Miami-Dade Fire Department received a phone call alerting about the fire.

The communication between the fire deputy at the scene and the person who received the alert was overheard on the police scanner:

1- “Two victims who were inside have now come out. The third victim is a firefighter and is unconscious.” 2- “Do we know what the unit is?” 1- “I think he is a Saudi firefighter.” 2- “Okay, thanks for the clarification.”

According to what was heard on the radio, the injured firefighter is of Saudi origin. There is an agreement for Saudi forces to train with Miami-Dade personnel, although it has not been made clear how many people were training when the fire broke out.

Sources from NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 indicate that while the information has not yet been confirmed, a controlled fire drill was being conducted, but someone could have used real fire.

During the process of extinguishing the fire, firefighters broke the windows facing 36th Street to enter and reach the source of the fire.

After two hours of intense work, smoke was still trying to escape through the windows of the three-story building.

More than 30 fire engines were involved in the large-scale operation, including fire engines, ambulances, escalator trucks and other support vehicles.

State Finance Director and Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis called the situation “horrible” in a message posted on the X social media network.

“This fire investigation is open and ongoing at this time,” the Fire Marshal’s Office said in a statement.

The Department of Financial Services’ investigation will focus solely on the cause of the fire. Any details regarding injuries should be directed to local authorities.”

Police reopened traffic on Route 36, which has been closed since the morning, although it is still difficult to travel normally on this sector.