Photo caption: Thick black smoke rises from a major fire at a motor oil warehouse along the Erbil-Kirkuk highway on Thursday, forcing authorities to close the road as Civil Defense crews worked to contain the blaze.
Crews battle blaze
Major fire shuts Erbil-Kirkuk highway, threatens nearby businesses
ERBIL — A large fire at a motor oil warehouse along the Erbil-Kirkuk highway continued burning Thursday despite firefighting efforts, forcing authorities to close the main road as thick smoke and strong winds complicated efforts to bring the blaze under control.
The fire broke out before noon at a warehouse storing motor oil and later spread, sending thick black smoke over the area and bringing traffic on the Erbil-Kirkuk highway to a standstill.
Civil Defense teams deployed 12 firefighting units to the scene, but the fire remained out of control as strong winds fueled the flames and caused them to spread.
No casualties had been reported as of Thursday afternoon.
Several automobile showrooms near the warehouse were threatened by the fire, but owners managed to move their vehicles to safety before the flames reached the area.
According to footage recorded by 964media, warehouses near the burning site were being evacuated to prevent goods and equipment from being destroyed if the fire spread further.
Authorities closed the Erbil-Kirkuk highway because of the dense smoke and the danger posed by the fire, while emergency crews continued efforts to contain the blaze.