Multiple fire departments came together Friday night to battle a first-alarm blaze in Phoenix.
Firefighters with the Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria Fire Departments responded to a home near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road just before 11 p.m.
According to a Phoenix Fire spokesperson, fire crews immediately conducted a "search and rescue" of the 7,000-square-foot home, however, due to the heavy flames, the roof started to collapse.
"It's a large enough home to where you could have half of that house burning for a little bit before you realize what's going on," a Phoenix Fire spokesperson said.
Firefighters began to battle the fire from outside as a result, officials said.
"They realized there was just fire basically everywhere," a fire spokesperson said. "It was in the garage and made its way into the attic space. We have a large tile roof that started coming in. The fire captain on scene made that determination that we needed to get defensive."
Phoenix Fire Captain Rob McDade said the homeowner informed crews there were approximately 20,000 rounds of ammunition inside the home, creating an additional worry.
“You could hear the popping,” he said.
The equipment worn by firefighters can normally shield them from the “small explosions” as gunpowder heats up. In this case, the ammo was stored on shelves inside the home. McDade said firefighters have encountered situations where, when packed in metal boxes, ammunition can be deadly.
“It’ll go off almost like a bomb and then the shrapnel from that box can injure or kill firefighters,” McDade said, adding that the safest place to store ammunition and guns is in a fireproof safe.
No injuries were reported and the fire remains under investigation.
