DeWitt, N.Y. — Firefighters are still battling a large fire Sunday at a metal recycling facility in DeWitt, where a pile of recyclable material has been burning for several hours.
The fire is contained to a pile of metal materials on the Metalico company property, according to DeWitt Fire District Chief Jason C. Green. Employees at the facility are using heavy equipment to pull the pile apart so firefighters can reach and extinguish the flames more effectively, he said.
“It’s just a pile of metal recyclable material — deep-seated, because it’s a pile of material,” Green said.
The fire at 6225 Thompson Road was reported at 6:37 a.m., according to the Onondaga County 911 Center. It’s still burning at 11:30 a.m.
Green said it has taken hours to fight the flames with water due to the large volume of material burning.
Foam is not being used to suppress the flames due to environmental concerns, Green said. Firefighting foam contains chemicals that could pose risks to groundwater.
Thick smoke has been seen for miles, but Green said there are no immediate health or safety concerns for nearby neighborhoods.
“It’s a commercial area, and the residential areas are far enough away where there’s not as much of a concern,” he said.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Thompson Road remains closed in both directions between James and Grover streets as crews continue to work to put out the fire.
The fire is just outside the city of Syracuse near James Street and Thompson Road.
Firefighters are expected to remain on-site for several more hours.