CHATHAM-Fire in Commerce Park

Last night December 13th 2018 a little after 5pm I was sitting here and all of a sudden there was this huge BOOM! Almost immediately I heard sirens. I went out on the kitchen deck to see what was going on. Hoping it wasn't here or the cell tower. yikes huge flames and smoke over the bays across from me. I rarely go outside after dark but flames will get me out there. Called 911 and it had already been reported.
I get on all my layers and a bandana for my face to protect from the smoke.
Holy cow. At first the flames appeared so close I thought it was something in Oyster River Boat Yard's storage yard. Then once I got out there it looked like MacSam's was on fire in the back. All his upstairs windows were bright yellow. But no it was the bay behind him where a mechanic has a work shop. The Chronicle reported that a worker had removed a gas tank from a truck and left work.  Wonder what ignited it. I worried about Jared Brown's dogs but no one had seemed home there for a while.
View from my kitchen deck- you can see my silhouette  taking the photo LOL

^^^
police parked at the rotary near Skipper paving. All traffic was monitored and the health club closed early for safety reasons.

walked around near the compost and it was still raging.
No Geminid Meteor shower sighting that night or tonight.

All night I could hear the hum of equipment- either a fire engine or something. Read a lot. No sleep just dozed.


So Friday morning as soon as it was light enough I went to take photos of what remained.

these are dim as there was not enough light. Actually never is.

so later in the morning I tried again. before photo is from google maps showing what the area looked like in 2014 intact.

Very thankful that the usual winds here  20-50 mph from the West- that was calm. If it had been windy this would have been horrendous.

December 25th 2018