Dozens of Federal and city firefighters have contained a large military warehouse fire today at a military housing area near Honolulu International Airport.

Homes downwind from the 17,500-square-foot warehouse are being evacuated as a precaution because officials do not know the contents of the warehouse. It was not known how many homes are being evacuated.

Federal firefighters called the Honolulu Fire Department for assistance at 12:39 p.m. The fire was declared under control at 1:15 p.m. but it was still burning as of 3:45 p.m.

The warehouse is 60 yards north of Nimitz Highway between Catlin Drive and Valkenburgh Street near the airport.

The warehouse is attached to the Catlin Park Navy Marine golf course near Catlin Park military housing.

Twelve Honolulu fire units with 55 firefighters are assisting the federal firefighters in the effort, city fire Capt. Robert Main said.

At 1 p.m., the single-story metal structure collapsed

Main said that the firefighters want to protect the public from smoke and potential hazardous fumes and to do as little damage as possible to the smoldering structure so investigators can better determine the cause of the fire.

"It's just a lot of twisted materials right now," he said.

Main said people were being evacuated north of the fire due to wind coming from the south.

"Our guys are actually going house to house in the immediate area and advising people if they smell smoke and are bothered by it to move on, and if they need assistance call 911.

"Anytime there's smoke, you want to be careful, and we also don't know what's in the building, and we're dealing with the building that might be of the World War II era."

Catlin Drive is closed to all but police and firefighters