Oklahoma City firefighters were called to tackle a significant fire at a recycling center on Sunday, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department responding to heavy black smoke rising in the south of the city. The smoke, emanating from car parts ablaze, was visible to drivers on Interstate 35, and this is not the first instance of a fire at this location, as KOCO reported.
Smoke from the fire obscured views on the interstate, compelling a Hazmat team to visit the scene for safety measures while the department sought to suppress the towering flames, the exact location of which was near South High Avenue and Southeast 55th Street, a scene previously acquainted with the ferocity of uncontrolled fire before, the current blaze has occurred in the site's past database of incidents mentioned by fire officials to the media representatives who gathered around for answers, for context, according to KOCO.
Battalion Chief Shane Williams of the Oklahoma City Fire Department revealed that a potential spark during the process of draining vehicles, typically by spiking to remove oil and gas, is possibly what ignited the flames, according to an interview with News 4. Chief Williams also detailed that the fire crews managed to contain the fire rapidly, extinguishing the blaze which encompassed approximately six to eight vehicles and remarked on the contained nature of the incident within the property bounds.
Moreover, as OKC FOX noted, firefighting teams were already in the vicinity responding to an unrelated accident when they noticed the heavy smoke coming from the metal facility rich with recyclables, an occurrence signaling distress, and demanding immediate attention which led them to the site where the subsequent fire was found, revealing the ongoing disaster that needed their skilled intervention.
No injuries were reported following the incident at the metal check facility, and Chief Williams confirmed that this type of incident happens a few times a year. The quick response by fire crews and the strategic use of foam helped ensure the fire was extinguished efficiently, with all hazards remaining on the facility's property.
