(PORT ST. LUCIE, FL)– Firefighters responded to a large warehouse fire late Thursday morning that created a smoke column visible for miles around St. Lucie County.

The building  in the 700 block of Grove Avenue was heavily involved when St. Lucie County firefighters arrived on the scene just after 11:00 AM.

Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control, confining it to just one half of the building, and considered it extinguished at around 1:00 PM.

Three people were transported to an area hospital though their status is currently not known.

Hades Motorsports, an auto repair shop, was operating out of the warehouse space and St. Lucie Fire District officials tell our partners at WPTV the blaze was caused by a vehicle that caught fire inside the building.

Aerial photos from the scene showed several vehicles parked outside the building damaged by fire.

An official cause will be determined by fire investigators.