A county facility built to keep fire trucks running became the site of a fatal disaster Monday morning, when an explosion tore through a fuel depot used to service Miami-Dade’s municipal fleet.
The facility, located at 6100 SW 87th Avenue just south of Snapper Creek, handles fueling and maintenance for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue vehicles and other county equipment. That operational role made the site a natural gathering point for workers and public safety personnel, which helps explain the casualty count. Forty Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the initial reports, with the call upgraded to a First Alarm fire to bring in additional personnel. For a facility that exists specifically to support the fire department, receiving fire department emergency response is a grim irony that wasn’t lost on anyone at the scene.
Surveillance footage captured a massive fireball punching through the roof of one of the structures, with at least one person visible in the video running to get clear before the full force of the blast hit. Nearby residents said the shockwave was felt well beyond the fence line. “It shook the whole neighborhood,” said Stephanie Galvez, who lives adjacent to the site. “All of a sudden there was a loud boom from behind the house and the house, for a moment, felt like it was shaking.” That kind of structural resonance in a residential neighborhood is a useful reminder of just how much energy is stored in an underground fuel system.
Officials confirmed one man was pronounced dead at the scene, while four others were injured. Family members have identified the victim as 36-year-old Leomar Suris, who was working at the facility when the explosion occurred. His family has since set up a GoFundMe to help cover expenses. The names of those injured have not been formally released.
Among those hurt was a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, who was transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital along with one other victim. A third victim was taken to a separate hospital, while a fourth drove themselves in. One person remains in critical condition, though all of the injured are currently listed as stable.
What Investigators Are Looking At
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said crews arriving on scene found a destroyed overhead canopy and an active fire burning underground. Firefighters also detected vapor rising from below ground and are investigating whether it originated from one of the gasoline storage vaults. EMS1
The explosion came from an underground fuel tank, according to MDFR, and the force blew the canopy near the pumps sideways. Officials noted the site contains three underground vaults used for fuel storage, and that one of them was empty at the time of the blast. Whether work was actively being performed on or near the tanks is part of the ongoing investigation.
Why Underground Fuel Systems Carry Serious Risk
Underground fuel storage tanks at commercial and municipal sites are regulated under EPA guidelines precisely because of what happens when vapor accumulates in a confined space. Even a small ignition source, a spark from equipment, a static discharge, or work being done on pressurized lines, can set off a blast with far more destructive force than the modest footprint of a fuel pump would suggest.
Routine inspections, pressure testing, and vapor monitoring are standard protocol, and investigators will likely be examining whether those procedures were current at this facility.
A Scene Still Closed to Traffic
Southwest 87th Avenue remained closed between SW 56th Street and SW 68th Street, with SW 64th Street also shut down between the Snapper Creek Expressway and SW 92nd Avenue.
Drivers were advised to use alternate routes until further notice. The State Fire Marshal’s office is assisting in the investigation alongside local authorities.
Investigation Ongoing
The damage visible at the site tells a straightforward story of what the force of a fuel-fed explosion can do to a structure, even a commercial-grade canopy built for a county facility. Fire crews deployed hose lines to attack the fire and successfully brought it under control, though the area remained taped off the following day as investigators worked to determine the precise origin and cause of the blast.
No timeline has been given for when the facility might reopen or when the road closures will be lifted.