Early morning fire at Lauderhill Swap Shop damaged three merchandise containers

Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze that erupted early Tuesday morning at Swap Shop in Lauderhill, but it took several hours afterward to remove all of the smoldering materials from the containers that caught fire.

Lauderhill Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Jeff Levy said multiple 911 calls came in about 4 a.m., and Lauderhill Police were the first to arrive, finding heavy smoke rising from the flea market in the 3200 block of West Sunrise Boulevard. Officers heard explosions coming from inside three shipping containers, part of one shop, that caught fire.

An investigation determined that the blaze started from incense or a candle that was lit when the vendor was open for business and left unattended, Levy said. The explosive sounds were aerosol cans popping in the heat, found in boxes labeled as flammable liquids.

Firefighters cut the three containers open with saws and extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes. They were on scene for a total of four hours removing the various materials from inside, Levy said, including clothing, perfumes and “a whole bunch of everything.”

Levy said Florida Power & Light disconnected power in the area, and the market appeared closed Tuesday.