Alabama oil rig catches fire along Mobile River, officials worried about 'environmental effects'

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Workers were scrapping a decommissioned oil rig in a shipyard along the Mobile River on Wednesday afternoon when the structure caught fire, sending heavy smoke billowing over the city, according to officials. 

Several fire trucks and boats responded to the rig, which contains diesel, hydraulic fluid, oil, and other potentially hazardous materials. 

No one was injured, but Mobile Fire-Rescue spokesperson Steven Millhouse said that officials are concerned about the "environmental effects" of the fire, which started just before 2:00 p.m.

"Most of what we've got is residual mixed with water and the foam that we used to battle the flames, just kind of flowing off of the top of the rig," Millhouse told reporters at the scene. 

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the state's Emergency Management Agency have been notified about the fire. The Coast Guard was also assisting at the scene. 

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Mobile Fire-Rescue Chief Jeremy Lami told reporters earlier in the day that the fire was several stories in the air, complicating first responders' efforts. 

"It can be challenging just because of the distance away from some of the hydrants and the fact that we're having to engage in some fire suppression operations that require the use of our aerial devices," Lami said at the scene. 

"Any equipment that we're using on top of that platform has to be taken up there with them, so we have to tote all that equipment up to the scene."

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The fire broke out in a shipyard on the east side of the Mobile River across from the city's business district. 

This is a breaking news story and may be updated.