NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - An investigation is underway after an overnight first alarm fire at a metal recycling plant in Northwest Miami-Dade.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, at around 9 p.m., Thursday, more than a dozen crews were dispatched to the area of Northwest 37th Avenue and North River Drive.
Upon their arrival, crews observed heavy smoke and flames billowing from the structure.
“Took about two hours to put it under control. We had 25 units on scene,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Edward Erickson.
Everyone inside the building made it out safely.
Crews are now monitoring the scene to make sure to put out any hot spots.
“It is difficult. It’s a large pile. It’s a very deep-seeded fire,” said Erickson. “It takes a lot of resources. There’s a lot of contamination that the fire crews have to deal with.”
Despite the fire being contained, a lot of smoke remains in the area.
As a result North River Drive is shut down at Northwest 37th Avenue, just south of Le Jeune Road.
“We ask residents and anyone who works in this area, if you do suffer of any respiratory conditions, to try to stay indoors for the most part, and try to avoid any outdoor activity,” said Erika Benitez of MDFR.
The metal recycling facility is located just east of Miami International Airport. However, airport operations have not been affected by the smoke.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue called in the county’s environmental resource department to address any hazardous runoff caused by the burning metal.
“It’s a recycling center, and you don’t always know what you find in a recycling center, so we treat all these as hazmats until proven otherwise,” Erickson said.
At this point, the cause of the fire is unknown.
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