The fire covered a 15-acre area, consuming more than 3500 vehicles, almost 50 percent of the number parked in the area
(Photo: Twitter)

Fire crews were recently called to deal with a massive fire at the Southwest Florida International Airport. The fire ripped through what is described as a "rental car overflow car park."

Every Lee County fire department was on the area where the incident happened, with added support that came from Charlotte and Collier counties.

More so, there were water airdrops along with a combination of efforts that eventually brought the blaze under control by early Saturday.

The blaze covered a 15-acre area, consuming more than 3500 vehicles, almost 50 percent of the number parked in the area.

The remaining 3800 which survived were transferred elsewhere and were able to escape the damage caused by the fire.

The manner of successfully spreading of the fire, according to reports, was easy to see. The cars were packed tightly together on a field that was dry grassy, not to mention, this time of the year when the temperatures typically go beyond 30 degrees.

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Fully Packed Parking Lot Due to COVID-19

It is quite safe to assume that the parking lot was full of rental cars, compared to the usual because of the recession in travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being a parking lot for rental cars, the majority of the vehicles would have been of the more common variety. Nevertheless, given the vehicles' total number that met their fate, a few may have been considered top-tier rental choices, including Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs, and even a few Corvettes. 

How the Fire Transpired

According to reports, no one got injured from the fire, and no damages have been reported at the airport. However, it took roughly 18 hours to extinguish the fire.

Additionally, the local authorities in Florida and Fort Myers received calls reporting the brush fire in a parking lot near the airport, about 20 vehicles were said to be on fire.

When responders reached the affected area, the number had increased to over 100 vehicles. By the time the fire was out, about 3,516 vehicles had been damaged or completely burned, while roughly 3,850 cars were saved.

According to Victoria Moreland, the Director of Communications of the Lee County Port Authority, the said vehicles were being stored for the vehicle rental agencies which were not having cars rented at present because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incidentally, the blaze reportedly created an outburst of black smoke casting a dark sky above the 15-acre field where the rental cars were parked at that time.

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18 Hours to Put Out the Fire

Witnesses said there were some outbursts and showers of sparks, and as mentioned, it took 19 hours before the firefighters were able to put the fire out, by Saturday morning, at around 10:30 a.m.

Helicopters helped put the blaze out via the 80 airdrops they were able to complete. Also, the Florida Forestry Service, as well as more than ten departments, assisted in dousing the fire. 

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Among these departments include the Fort Myer Beach Fire Department, the Bayshore Fire Department, the Airport Fire Department, City of Fort Myers Fire Department, and the Estero Fire Department, among others. The cause of the blaze remains unknown until now, although an investigation is reportedly in progress, and the State Fire Marshal is doing it.