EVERETT -- Nearly one hundred firefighters and emergency responders battled a massive 3-alarm fire in Everett Wednesday afternoon.
Crews went to Highland Tire on Raystown Road just before 4 p.m.
The massive fire sent plumes of smoke billowing into the air, which could be seen 20 miles away and even in other counties.
"This type of fire involving chemicals and rubber and tires is a very difficult one to extinguish," says Dave Cubbison with Bedford County EMA. "It takes a lot to get these started but once they do, it's very difficult to put out."
One of the big factors fueling this fire was the weather. The high winds helped to generate tons of smoke.
"You could not see one to two feet in front of you. We had to evacuate roughly a dozen homes," says Cubbison. He didn't expect any of those people to be without a place to stay.
Area residents were able to go to the United Methodist Church in Everett for shelter. The American Red Cross was also called in to help people if needed.
One issue Cubbison says may come up as a result of this fire is runoff into area streams. The Department of Environmental Protection was on scene for that.
Firefighters were able to control the blaze and clear the scene around 10 p.m. Wednesday, a remarkable feat compared to what the scene looked like hours earlier. Fortunately, no one was hurt either.
"The fire departments and EMS units here have done a miraculous job of containing this fire," Cubbison noted. "The potential for this fire to get into the woods, the closest home is 100 yards from here and they've been able to set up some water barriers and protect those homes."
Roughly a dozen fire companies were on scene. Units from Cambria and surrounding counties as well as from Maryland were being brought in to assist. Crews used water and also foam to put out the flames.
Community members should be aware their water may be cloudy as a result of the fire.
"One of the things that people in the Everett area need to be aware of is a little discoloration in their water. Because we pulled a lot of water out of the hydrant system so if someone says, hey my water is a little cloudy, it's because we stirred it up a bit. There's no real reason to be concerned about that," says Cubbison.
He adds he doesn't see a need for a boil water notice but residents should contain their local municipalities if need be.
Right now there's no word on what may have caused this fire.
Highland Tire houses used industrial tires. The tires are mainly used for construction-like equipment.
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