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Firefighters Put Out Blaze On 250-Foot Cargo Ship

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Fire crews were able to put out a blaze on a 250-foot cargo ship Wednesday evening. While the fire is out, firefighters are on standby.

Yesenia Sanchez said it was quite a sight for her and her boys to see flashing lights filling the night sky.

Click here to watch Summer Knowles' report. 

It was several hours after the ship caught fire at the marina off NW 22nd Ave and 14th street. Residents nearby admitted they were a little startled by it all.

"So I came out and I saw the vessel fuming with smoke," said resident Bill Rodriguez. "The whole neighborhood was full of dark smoke."

While the fire was put out, it wasn't easy.

"It was a lot of smoke and the winds obviously carried it in directions toward the residents. The rain definitely didn't help us at all so we were battling the weather conditions as well as the challenges of trying to get in and see exactly where we were going inside the ship," said Miami Fire Capt. Ignatius Carroll.

But firefighters didn't stay inside the ship long. The steel of the ship was so hot, it started to melt some of the boots on the the firefighters so they had to quickly retreat and start attacking the fire from the outside.

Their battle with the blaze proved to be a delicate balancing act between fighting the flames and making sure to remove water which was accumulating on the ship, making sure the vessel didn't start to sink.

Fire investigators believe the fire started while some welding work was being done on the ship.

Fortunately, no one was injured but the damage appeared extensive.

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