Shocking! Smoke from Walmart fire could be seen from space

A huge fire at a Walmart distribution center emitted a plume of smoke so vast it could be seen from space.

A huge fire at a Walmart distribution center emitted a plume of smoke so vast it could be seen from space. (Cheney Orr/REUTERS)

A huge fire at a Walmart distribution center emitted a plume of smoke so vast it could be seen from space. The billowing black smoke could be seen for miles around the 1.2 million square feet site, in Plainfield, Indiana, and was picked up by a weather satellite as hundreds of firefighters tackled the blaze.

A clip posted on Twitter by the National Weather Service Indianapolis gave a satellite's-eye view of the plume spreading across the surrounding area on Wednesday afternoon.

People living nearby were warned to stay indoors and stay away from falling debris, the Indianapolis Star reported. All 1,000 staff working at the warehouse when the fire broke out were evacuated safely, according to the newspaper.