SARASOTA, FL (WFLA) – A raging, 6-alarm fire destroyed a 7,000-square-foot warehouse in Sarasota early Friday morning, sending clouds of smoke into the air and slowing traffic on nearby Interstate 75.

The warehouse is located at 941 South Packinghouse Road, off I-75.

The fire started before 5 a.m. and spread from the warehouse to two additional buildings nearby, including apartments, which were on fire when crews arrived on scene. The entire roof of one warehouse, spreading 200 feet, was on fire when firefighters arrived.

Witness Ronald Thomas was inside his recording studio at the warehouse this morning when the fire broke. “We heard crackling. [My friend] opened the door, we seen flickers of light, looked out and seen like 3 units up just flames coming out the wall,” he said.

A Sarasota Fire Department spokesperson says about 80 firefighters responded to the scene, at one point pumping 4000 gallons a minute.

Fire officials say they were able to save the surrounding structures, however the warehouse building is completely destroyed. Inside were storage units, some music recording studios and storage for area businesses.

Jeff Couch with LM Remodeling and Construction kept equipment in a storage shed there. “Flames were probably 100 foot off the building,” he said.

“Everything in there was made of pine so as soon as I heard it was in flames I knew it was a total loss.”

A rain shower late Friday morning helped the crews douse the embers. As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, the fire was smoldering.

No injuries were reported. There is no word on the cause of the fire.

According to meteorologist Leigh Spann, a strong breeze from the west blew the smoke east of I-75. Florida Highway Patrol monitored the smoke to make sure drivers were safe in the area. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office closed Palmer Blvd. between Porter & Cattlemen Roads and Packinghouse Rd. is closed between Bahia Vista & Cattlemen Roads.

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