Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department crews responded yesterday afternoon to a fire at a recycling facility near Riverside in downtown Jacksonville. The incident was reported around 4:15 p.m. and involved a paper recycling plant in the 1500 block of Beaver Street, where a large smoke plume was visible, according to News4JAX.
The fire, which officials believe was caused by lithium-ion batteries rather than an equipment malfunction, was discussed by JFRD District Chief Aaron Bebernitz. He said wind conditions were carrying smoke and fumes away from nearby areas, and that there was no immediate threat to the surrounding community from smoke exposure. Jacksonville University students Andrea Waters and Alex Boutwell told News4JAX they noticed a large, visible smoke plume while they were out getting food nearby.
In a statement obtained by First Coast News, the fire was declared under control shortly after 6 p.m. after starting in the main production building at the Smurfit Westrock facility. Officials said wind contributed to the fire’s spread, and no injuries were reported. Fire crews stayed on site overnight to monitor for any flare-ups.
Action News Jax reported that roughly 99% of the paper products at the plant burned in the fire. JFRD confirmed that the equipment was not the cause. Between five and 10 employees were inside the facility at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire, which is standard procedure in incidents like this. As fire watch operations continued overnight, live camera footage showed multiple crews working to extinguish remaining hot spots and prevent the fire from spreading further.
