Syracuse Recycling Plant Fire Guts Five Buildings

East Syracuse, NTY — A fire at an East Syracuse recycling plant gutted five buildings and blocked a railroad track with debris. The fire at Syracuse Recycling and Recovery started around 2:15 am local time.

The blaze was likely fueled by the plastic, papers, and metals inside the five affected buildings. Firefighters remained at the facility on Tuesday night to deal for any hotspots and flare ups that the fire may have.

Long-reach excavators worked to sift through debris and knock over any remaining walls, reports Syracuse.com. Firefighters focused on an area of debris where the fire may have started.

East Syracuse Fire Department spokesman Louis Longo added that crews are expected to remain at the scene for a while in case any hotspots catch fire again. The department initially poured thousands of gallons of water on the Syracuse recycling plant fire. They were still on standby with several firetrucks and a few aerial sprayers.

While the blaze is contained, the crews will work the scene in shift rotations, according to CNYCentral.com. East Syracuse Fire Chief Robert Russell added that it could be a two day operation. He added, “I’m looking probably at two days operation here. I don’t want it to be that, but it all depends how quickly we can get in there, move stuff around, get it wet down.”

Crews need to adjust the smoldering debris, so that everything can be soaked. In doing so, they will be able to put out the remaining hotspots. Investigators have also been cleared to go into the building and begin to determine what may have caused the fire. Russell explained:

“The company has property surveillance cameras, so they are looking through them to see if any of them have any still pictures, or anything on it, for what may have started it.”

It’s not yet clear how long it will take investigators to determine the cause of the Syracuse recycling plant fire.

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