A major fire broke out just after 9 a.m. Nov. 26 at fishing lure manufacturer G&R Plastics Inc. in Birmingham, Ala., and then burned out of control for a couple hours.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The blaze reportedly started in an area where some workers were handling paint products that ignited. All 14 employees escaped the aluminum structure.
Two fire departments and a hazardous material crew responded to the 9:03 a.m. emergency call to the business, which reportedly housed materials including liquid plastisol, propane tanks, chemicals and lacquer thinners.
The blaze sent thick plumes of smoke into the sky. At one point, more than 40 firefighters were at the scene. Their efforts were hampered for a while by a shift in the wind.
The flames reportedly were brought under control about 11 a.m. but firefighters said they remained in a defensive mode into the afternoon.