Authorities are investigating after a fire ripped through a strip mall in Miami early Thursday.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. at La Nueva Tijera thrift store at 67th Avenue and Flagler Street, Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Ignatius Carroll said.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control but not before it ripped through the store and caused smoke and water damage to three other businesses in the strip mall.
One fire captain who was fighting the fire on the roof had a close call after it became unstable and he fell halfway through, Carroll said. Thankfully his gear kept him from falling all the way through and his fellow firefighters were able to pull him to safety, Carroll said.
The captain is expected to be ok. No other injuries were reported.
Witnesses said they heard an explosion and saw a cloud of smoke come from the building.
"The explosion was like if someone was crashing through the window and it was really loud and a burst of flames came out," Erika Gonzalez said. "It was just really loud, it sounded out of the ordinary."
"A bunch of smoke, it was just dark, it was a gigantic cloud, the next thing you know I saw the glass explode from the building," Jessica Gonzalez said. "It was random, it was out of nowhere."
Authorities are trying to determine how the fire began.
Hours earlier, a separate fire erupted at an apartment complex in Miami Springs.
The fire was reported around midnight at the duplex in the 700 block of Curtis Parkway. One woman was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and five families were displaced by the fire.
Authorities are also investigating the cause of that fire.
Local
Check back with NBC 6 South Florida and NBC6.com for updates.
Weird Stories:
