Neighborhoods Scrap Metal Fire Rages Through The Night at Sims Metal Management in Jersey City
by Tessa Stuart
Late Monday night firefighters began battling a massive blaze that broke out around 10pm at Sims Metal Management, a recycling plant in Jersey City.
“The fire was reported at 22:54, and actually we received our first report of it from the Coast Guard,” said Bob McHugh, spokesperson for the Jersey City fire department. “We’re right here on the New York waterfront.”
Sims spokesperson James Haggerty said the blaze “broke out in a stockpile in the scrap metal receiving area for the shredder at our Claremont Terminal facility.”
Firefighters dispatched to the scene continued to fight the fire, which engulfed a giant pile of scrap metal at least four stories high, through the night. They were assisted by plant employees using heavy duty cranes to remove material from the stockpile.
By dawn a thick plume of smoke was visible from miles around and the smell of burning metal had wafted over the water to Brooklyn.
At 8:30am Tuesday, Haggerty said, “The fire is contained, controlled and nearly extinguished.” The cause is still unknown.
Sims Metal Management is the same plant where a giant metal and plastic pile fire raged for 12 hours back in 2010. The plant pulverizes more than 4,000 tons of metal a day.
Photo from @News12Chopper over big fire at recycling plant in #JerseyCity.
MORE: http://t.co/JWFLFhoSGl pic.twitter.com/eC99w114At— News12NJ (@News12NJ) August 20, 2013
From @wcbs880 Chopper 880: smoke from Jersey City recycling plant fire filling the Tuesday morning sky… pic.twitter.com/igAtdUR3cT
— Tom Kaminski (@TomKaminskiWCBS) August 20, 2013
Smoke from a Jersey City Fire fills the morning sky over #NYC & #nj this morning. #trevorharmonphotojournalist pic.twitter.com/Rdjy0di2pO
— Trevor Harmon (@trevharmon) August 20, 2013
#JerseyCity @SimsMM fire rages on, 7.5 hours after it started. pic.twitter.com/relEn1YVdu
— Weijia Jiang (@weijiajiangtv) August 20, 2013
#JerseyCity #firedepartment fighting fire @ sims metal in JC. Putting out before has smoke impact 2 #pga Barclays pic.twitter.com/zTUwaGyG0J
— Steven (Steve) Fulop (@StevenFulop) August 20, 2013