Fire breaks out in debris pile at York metal recycling business

A fire in a debris pile at a York metal recycling business Monday has state officials monitoring air quality and water runoff, officials said.

The fire started after 10 a.m. Monday, behind Custom Recycling on Hunter Street in York, said York Fire Department Chief Domenic Manera.

Heavy smoke early in the firefighting coupled with strong winds prompted York officials to make a reverse 911 call to nearby homes and an elementary school, telling people to “shelter in place” and stay inside until the smoke cleared, Manera said.

In a reverse 911 call, officials call the land lines of affected people to advise them of the situation, Manera said.

No one was injured.

The cause of the fire was unclear.

The debris pile was about 100 feet square and 30 feet deep, Manera said. Officials used a track hoe to clear debris, while firefighters doused the fire with water.

Firefighters were still pouring water on the pile as of 2:30 p.m.

S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control officials were on site doing air testing and will test water runoff , Manera said.

This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Fire breaks out in debris pile at York metal recycling business."