Midland Fire Department firefighters Vargas and Popham work to extinguish a large structure fire Wednesday evening at Viking Pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Firefighters spent roughly six hours Wednesday night battling a blaze that completely destroyed a large commercial building at Viking Pools on East Interstate 20 near FM 1788.
Dispatchers received multiple calls from passersby reporting the fire around 7:45 p.m. and when firefighters arrived they discovered a 24,000 square foot building used to manufacture fiberglass pools engulfed in flames, said Karisa Danley, a spokeswoman for the City of Midland.
Firefighters from Midland and Odessa fought the fire, along with firefighters from Greenwood, Northeast Midland County and West Odessa volunteer fire departments and the Midland County Sheriff’s Office evacuated surrounding businesses, Danley said.
A Midland Fire Department ladder truck sprays water from above as it works to extinguish a large structure fire Wednesday night at Viking Pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
It took the firefighters two hours to contain the blaze, but another four hours extinguishing “hotspots,” she said.
The building was a complete loss and fire marshals continue to investigate the cause, she said.
Odessa Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Rodd Huber said the biggest issue was the lack of water at the scene. There were no water hydrants in the area so the City of Odessa sent two water tankers along with seven firefighters.
In addition, Danley said the weather was also a concern.
“Incident Command communicated with the National Weather Service periodically for weather updates. Our concern was a shift in wind direction or an increase in wind speed,” she said.
As always, Huber said the firefighters took every precautionary measure they could, but noted fiberglass is especially dangerous.
“You’ve got to stay out of the smoke for sure,” he said.
Bystanders watch from the Interstate 20 service road as a large plume of smoke rises from Viking Pools where the Midland Fire Department and Odessa Fire Rescue worked to extinguish a structure fire Wednesday evening in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Midland Fire Department firefighters hydrate while taking a break at the scene a large structure fire Wednesday night at Viking Pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Midland Fire Department and Odessa Fire Rescue firefighters work to extinguish a large structure fire Wednesday night at Viking Pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
A Midland Fire Department firefighter helps reverse a tanker truck into position as they respond to the scene of a large structure fire Wednesday night at Viking Pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Midland Fire Department firefighters take a break from fighting a two alarm structure fire Wednesday night at Viking Pools in Midland County. The MFD was assisted by Odessa Fire Rescue, Northeast Volunteer Fire Department, Greenwood Volunteer Fire Department and West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department to help extinguish the fire. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Odessa Fire Rescue firefighters take off their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) masks as they come back from the fire line of a two alarm structure fire Wednesday night at Viking pools in Midland County. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
