Firefighters battle large blaze at Portland metal recycling facility
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Crews are at the scene of a large four-alarm fire at a metal recycling facility that began early Wednesday afternoon, Portland Fire and Rescue announced.
After hours of progress, officials said as of Wednesday night that it is largely under control.
Firefighters responded to the Radius Recycling facility near 12000 N Lombard Street to find the scrap pile burning around 1:25 p.m after reports flooded in about large plumes of black smoke in the area.
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Some raised concerns about the smoke being toxic. Portland firefighters said they’re asking people who live and work in the area to take precautions, close open windows and shelter-in-place.
“We were wondering about whether it was chemical. But you can definitely, definitely smell it. I mean, I can smell it now,” said Kim Walters, who was visiting the St. Johns Neighborhood, where the fire started. “It was a big fire. You could see it all the way from we were coming in on 30 from downtown.”
Officials said they used aerial ladder pipes to get the fire under control. They also used a foam unit and two different fire boats pumping water from the Willamette River.
Authorities asked those in the area to avoid the nearby roads, as “traffic will be impacted with hose lines connected to hydrants in the area.”
“Plant personnel are reaching into the piles and grabbing material to move away from the pile in hopes of reducing available fuel,” officials said. Workers at the recycling company used cranes to take out the potentially flammable material, preventing new fires from starting.
“This is a large scrap piles of mixed metals with significant fire in at least two separate piles along with a structure located nearby possibly in danger if fire extending and consuming the structure,” Portland Fire and Rescue said in a post on social media.
No plant employees were injured in the fire, officials say.
“With nearly 100 firefighters on scene, crews from across the city were strategically moved to best cover the city with companies traditionally operating out of Argay Heights in outer NE Portland relocated to the University Park Neighborhood. Additionally, there were stations on the periphery of the city staffed by members of our mutual aid partners from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue aiding in the coverage of the SW part of town,” PF&R said.
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Fire crews are planning on being at the scene until midnight and will “continue until the fire is completely extinguished.”
Last May, another fire took place at the same location when the facility was known as Schnitzer Steel. The fire involved a “large debris pile of shredded combustible mixed metals,” including items like shredded cars with petroleum products, foam and upholstery.
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