Savannah, Georgia Warehouse Fire Burns 5,600 Tons Of Rubber

By Kevin Murphy

Feb 8 (Reuters) - A fire ignited 5,600 tons of stored rubber at a warehouse in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday, spreading thick black smoke for miles but causing no injuries, an official said.

The fire broke out at about 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) at a warehouse at the Port of Savannah's Ocean Terminal and was contained by early evening, said Claude Debnam, a dispatcher for Savannah Fire and Emergency Services.

Blocks of rubber were stored in the warehouse for use in the making of tires and other products, Debnam said.

Smoke drifted toward downtown Savannah and its historic areas, prompting an advisory to tourists and residents to stay indoors as much as possible, Debnam said.

Fire officials have not determined the cause of the blaze, Debnam said.

"As hot as rubber burns, it may be a couple days until they can get in there and find out what happened," said Debnam, a former volunteer firefighter. "It will be a mess over there." (Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Ian Simpson and Lisa Shumaker)