CRANE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Update: According to Officials at the Crane Army Ammunition Activity, the fire burned itself out at 1 p.m. Wednesday. As of Friday morning, the debris left over has been cleaned up from the site of the fire.
Original: A fire remains burning Wednesday morning after an ammunition storage bin at the munitions demilitarization area of Crane Army Ammunition Activity caught fire Tuesday night.
According to the Public and Congressional Affairs officer Marshall Howell, the Navy Fire Department on scene determined that the best course of action was to let the controlled fire burn itself out.
The fire began at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday in a munitions storage bin that is not stored in-doors. Howell described the area as a parking-lot-like pad of pavement.
Army employees reportedly were able to quickly alert the fire crews who were able to contain the fire quickly.
Workers were evacuated from the immediate area, it’s believed there is no danger to the surrounding public at this time.
Howell credited the strict safety standards in place for the safe containment of the incident.
“The mission is our priority, but safety always trumps that, and we have multiple safety procedures and processes in place,” Crane Army Ammunition Activity Commander Col. Santee Vasquez said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Howell says crews are continuing to monitor the blaze as they wait for it to burn out.