5 injured in Orange County office complex hazmat fire, officials say

5 injured in Orange County office complex hazmat fire

The Orlando Fire Department says five people were injured in an office complex hazmat fire Thursday morning in Orange County.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Several crews from the Orlando Fire Department arrived on the scene of a hazmat fire that broke out around 8:20 a.m. Thursday in the Tangelo Park area of Orange County.

Firefighters say five people were injured in the office complex fire that took place on the 7600 block of Municipal Drive.

Orlando Fire Department Chief Charlie Salazar hosted a press conference following the incident around 9:45 a.m.

Salzar said the fire was caused by lithium powder kept on site at the L3Harris Coleman Aerospace facility. Because lithium is a flammable metal, firefighters could not use water on the fire, the chief said.

"This could have been a very dangerous situation," he said. "We had to approach this very carefully."

The Orlando Fire Department says a fire broke out Thursday morning in the Tangelo Park area of Orange County. (Credit: Orlando Fire Department)

Fire department officials said a fire wall prevented the fire getting out of control and spreading to other parts of the building.

"This morning, there was a fire in a manufacturing area at our L3Harris Coleman Aerospace facility in Orlando," an L3 Harris spokesperson said. "The fire has been extinguished. Employee safety is our top priority, and we are conducting a full investigation."

Although the smoke was not discovered to be especially toxic in the boundaries outside the fire, firefighters said the neighborhood to the east of the area was isolated as a precaution. The Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Orlando Police Department helped to encourage residents to turn off their air conditioners and stay indoors so they were not exposed.

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Officials state there are two trauma alert burn patients and one hazmat inhalation patient, all who were transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Two other patients refused transport but continue to be monitored by crews, firefighters say.

The department reports the fire has been knocked down. However, the fire continues to remain under investigation.

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