Aug. 9—The fire at the old Chickasha Manufacturing building is contained but continues to burn, as of Tuesday morning.

The Chickasha Fire Department and the Oklahoma Fire Marshal are conducting a joint investigation concerning the cause of the fire.

The building was being used to store a large amount of hand sanitizer. Tony Samaniego, Chickasha Fire Chief, said there was an estimated 1.5 million gallons of 75% alcohol sanitizer stored within the building.

The building did not have an occupancy permit, Samaniego said. The building did not meet code requirements such as having a sprinkler system or alarm installed, he said.

The fire began at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Multiple fire departments and stations responded to the scene. Kim Duke with the Grady County Fire Department said there were about 27 trucks in addition to command vehicles.

After first responders determined the fumes were not hazardous to the public, firefighters began to implement defensive fire fighting strategies under close observation, Samaniego said.

Samaniego said pouring water on the fire would have created a bigger mess. The massive amount of water needed to put out the flames could have created a runoff issue. This means the chemicals from the fire could have contaminated the water supply in Chickasha and Ninnekah.

Authorities will further investigate the rubble when it is feasible. In the meantime, access to the area is restricted. Until authorities have definitively ruled out arson, the area will be treated as a potential crime scene.

Samaniego said he was grateful for the support from first responders as well as the community.

In a Facebook post, the Chickasha Fire Department thanked everyone who has assisted with the fire. In addition to the Grady County Fire Department and Chickasha Fire Department, multiple stations from the county and neighboring communities responded to the scene. Grady County Emergency Management, Heartland Medical Direction, the Salvation Army of Grady and Caddo Counties, Red Cross, Chickasaw Nation Emergency Management and the State Fire Marshal also helped support the firefighters. The community also pitched in, bringing water, Gatorade and snacks.

Ralph Beard, Grady County Commissioner, District 3, said the commissioners appreciate the outpour of support from everyone.

"What happened yesterday was a pretty big deal for Grady County," Beard said at the Grady County Commissioners meeting on Monday.

"We, the county commissioners really do thank everybody that got involved yesterday."