At 01:21 am this morning, a refuse fire was reported in the back lot of Padnos Recycling with visible smoke and flames seen. Upon arrival at 1:29am, the first arriving unit reported heavy fire involvement on a large pile of scrap metal to be recycled, near the intersection of Pine & 7th Ave. During the initial moments, personnel deployed a tower ladder flowing large amounts of water to control the fire until additional units arrived, who then immediately began to perform additional fire control operations. The incident was challenging due to the large size of the pile and the many voids created within it. After the bulk of the fire was controlled, personnel worked in collaboration with Padnos employees to establish a strategy to use heavy machinery to disassemble the pile of materials. Two cranes operated in conjunction with hose lines to bring the fire under control. Water applied to extinguish the fire was contained and treated through an on-site treatment system. At approximately 4:00am the fire was deemed extinguished and the last unit cleared the scene at 4:41am. Fire officials believe the cause of ignition is considered to be unintentional. There were no injuries to HFD personnel or Padnos employees as a result of the fire.
The Holland Fire Department received assistance from our mutual aide partners. The Graafschap Fire Department and Hamilton Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident for additional calls. AMR provided standby for Padnos employees and assessment of fire personnel on scene.