Fire breaks out at warehouse in former naval base in Toa Baja
The blaze at a WindMar Home storage structure in Sabana Seca was reported Monday afternoon and later confined, with no injuries reported.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reported that Puerto Rico Fire Bureau personnel responded Monday afternoon to a fire at a WindMar Home warehouse in the former naval base in Sabana Seca, Toa Baja
- Company marketing officer Miguel Bethencourt told El Nuevo Día the fire affected a small structure storing marketing materials, not electronic equipment, and that it is now under control with no injuries
- Primera Hora reported that DSP spokeswoman Ivonne Rosario confirmed the fire is confined, with units from Toa Baja, Cataño, Dorado, Bayamón and DOE Hato Rey mobilized along with the municipal emergency office
- El Vocero and Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that the fire was attended by the same agencies but offered no details on causes, affected people or structural damage as of their publication
Incident details
A fire broke out Monday afternoon in a warehouse belonging to WindMar Home at the former naval base in the Sabana Seca sector of Toa Baja. El Nuevo Día reported that the Puerto Rico Fire Bureau responded to the scene. According to the company's principal marketing officer, Miguel Bethencourt, the affected structure stored marketing materials rather than the electronic equipment the firm uses for its solar, roofing and home services work.
Bethencourt told El Nuevo Día that the warehouse is small, there were no injuries or complications and the situation was resolved quickly. "Ya todo está resuelto. Agradecemos muchísimo a los servidores públicos de Toa Baja por la atención rápida. Ya todo está bajo control," he said. He added that the company is investigating the cause.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Ya todo está resuelto. Agradecemos muchísimo a los servidores públicos de Toa Baja por la atención rápida. Ya todo está bajo control
Our translation: Everything is already resolved. We are very grateful to the public servants of Toa Baja for the rapid attention. Everything is now under control.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Response and status
Personnel from the Toa Baja Municipal Emergency Management Office and the Puerto Rico Fire Bureau were mobilized, along with units from Cataño, Dorado, Bayamón and DOE Hato Rey, El Vocero reported. Primera Hora reported that Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Ivonne Rosario confirmed the fire is confined and that no one was reported injured or affected.
Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that the fire was of large proportions and concentrated in one building, but provided no further details on causes or damage. As of the latest reports, authorities had not released information on the origin of the blaze.
Where the sources differ
All four outlets agree that the fire occurred Monday afternoon in a structure at the former naval base in Sabana Seca, Toa Baja, that responding agencies included the Puerto Rico Fire Bureau, Toa Baja municipal emergency office and units from Cataño, Dorado, Bayamón and DOE Hato Rey, and that no injuries were reported. El Nuevo Día adds that the structure belonged to WindMar Home, contained only marketing materials, was small, is now under control and that the company is investigating the cause. Primera Hora attributes confirmation that the fire is confined to DSP spokeswoman Ivonne Rosario. El Vocero and Telemundo Puerto Rico describe the scale differently—El Vocero calls it an incident in a structure while Telemundo calls it a fire of large proportions—but neither provides details on cause, victims or damage, noting the story was developing.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact size of the affected structure in square feet or its precise address within the former base. They provide no estimate of any property damage or financial loss. No timeline is given for when the fire started, how long it burned before being confined or when it was fully extinguished. The cause remains unknown and under investigation, with no mention of any preliminary findings or involvement of other agencies such as police or environmental authorities.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Se desata incendio en un almacén en antigua base naval en Toa Baja
- Reporting VIDEO: Atienden incendio en antigua base naval en Toa Baja
- Reporting Bomberos combaten incendio en antigua base de Toa Baja
- Reporting Se desata fuego de grandes proporciones en antigua base naval en Toa Baja
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, El Vocero, Primera Hora and Telemundo Puerto Rico all covered the Monday afternoon fire in Toa Baja. Details on the affected company, the nature of the stored materials and the statement that the fire is resolved come solely from El Nuevo Día via company spokesman Miguel Bethencourt. Confirmation that the fire is confined is attributed only to the DSP spokeswoman in Primera Hora. No single outlet has a full picture of damage or cause.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.