A warehouse fire that started Sunday morning burned throughout the day and into the night, releasing large clouds of toxic, black smoke over Fort Wayne.

Fire officials urged people to stay away from the scene because of the toxicity, but they also said area residents should not worry about their respiratory health.

“As you can see, the smoke is going pretty much up and then dissipating, so it shouldn’t be an issue,” city fire Chief Pete Kelly said.

At 11:34 a.m., a man driving by Momper Insulation, 2431 W. Main St., noticed smoke coming from one of the doors, Capt. Henry Willis said.

Firefighters were at the scene within 5 minutes, Willis said, and began fighting the fire from inside the building.

Willis said the fire escalated and firefighters were pulled out. After firefighters were out of the building, a side wall collapsed and a firefighter on the perimeter of the building was injured. That firefighter has been treated and released from a local hospital, Kelly said.

Runoff from the fire fight drained into Junk Ditch, a stream that flows behind the warehouse and eventually into the St. Marys River. As a result, authorities were trying to dam the water in the stream to keep the runoff from spreading.

Chief Kelly said the city's drinking water, which comes from the St. Joseph River, was not at risk of contamination.

As crews continue to tackle the blaze, West Main Street remains shut down from West Jefferson Boulevard to Leesburg Road.