Smoke increasing from underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets
By Jay Greene
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WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (WTKR) — A fire underground that caused a parking lot at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets to partially collapse Saturday morning is still burning, James City County officials said Sunday morning.
“Firefighters remain on the scene and are working to cool down the area to keep the smoke down as much as possible,” officials said in a social media post.
They said the nearby cemetery businesses is not impacted and surrounding businesses are also open.
The fire is in an underground stormwater system that caused a parking lot to partially collapse around 9 a.m. Saturday.
On Saturday, a shop owner told News 3 that he’d been in the parking lot when he noticed a trailer tilting. He then saw the ground was collapsing and alerted others.
Out of abundant caution and smoke, area businesses were evacuated and the public was encouraged to avoid the area.
By late Saturday afternoon, the scene drew the attention from curious shoppers who’d detected a lingering odor.
City leaders say smoke has increased in the area.
Authorities are asking people to avoid the area, especially if they have respiratory issues.
No injuries have been reported, and there’s been no immediate word on a cause.
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