The warehouse was a total loss, according to Hillsborough Fire Rescue.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – A fire in a warehouse that closed eastbound Causeway Boulevard for several hours Saturday (Nov. 11) has been ruled accidental, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said.

After speaking with witnesses, employees of Plantain Products Co., and reviewing security footage, investigators have determined the cause of the fire to be accidental in nature, the department said. Evidence points to the spontaneous combustion of discarded cooking byproducts, including cottonseed oil, stored in a open plastic 55-gallon drum.

According to physical evidence, it appears that the fire started inside the open drum at approximately 4:14 p.m. The fire continued to burn under a storage rack filled with perishable stock and storage materials for about 33 minutes before a passerby called 911.

The warehouse,  in the 5800 block of Causeway, is about 25,000 square feet and has been listed as a total loss.

For information about Hillsborough Fire Rescue, go to hillsboroughcounty.org.

For video from inside the building, go to facebook.com.

Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

Hillsborough Fire Rescue | Plantain Products | Causeway Boulevard Fire | Fire | Tampabay News

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