It was a long, hot afternoon for fire crews in Elkhart County who had to fight a fire at a salvage yard.

The blaze broke out around 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, in the 1700 block of Lusher Avenue.

Elkhart fire crews arrived to find heavy black smoke and flames coming from a large debris pile.

Due to the size and strong winds at the time, additional water and equipment were needed so two tankers were called in.

The fire spread into the nearby railyard, igniting a large pile of railroad ties.

After approximately 3 hours both fires were extinguished with the help of Baugo Township and Concord Township crews