BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, Ohio
On Monday morning, a huge factory fire lit up the sky near I-480 and I-77 with flames and smoke that could be seen for miles.
No one was hurt, but there are surprising new details about that building in the 1400 block of Valley Belt Road.
"It did not have sprinklers or an alarm system," said Jim Wheeler, Independence Fire Department's Assistant Chief.
Wheeler said an off-duty police officer first reported the fire around 3:30 a.m. By the time crews arrived, the flames were eating through the roof.
The plastics inside, which had given the North Shore Strapping Company its business for years, were serving as fuel.
"Basically they have bubble wrap and shipping supplies," said Assistant Chief Wheeler. "So it's a petroleum-based product. Plastics have a lot of petroleum-based chemicals in them so they burn hot, and they burn very fast."
Some of the company's 50 or so employees learned what happened when they arrived for work. Their neighbors were affected by the ash and smoke, and the only road heading in and out was shut down for the day too.
"We had to park up the hill today," said Matt Eichler, who works near the factory.
Investigators say no one was inside when the fire broke out and the last employee left the building late Sunday night. The cause remains under investigation.
It is also not immediately clear whether the factory violated code. Investigators say it is possible the building was grandfathered in by a standard where sprinklers and alarms were not required.
The fire gained national news coverage and became a fast-trending topic on social media through the morning.