What started out as a pallet fire quickly jumped to plastic, tractor trailers and machinery in a 100 by 100 foot area of the scrap yard at 2216 Angling road, Ed Arnold Scrap processing.
Fire crews were called to the yard about 5:50p.m. after calls started to pour into dispatchers of a fire that could be seen on Rt. 20 and into Wyoming and Erie County. Thick black smoke and rolling flames were visible.
East Pembroke Fire Chief Don Newton says he immediately went to a second alarm even before he arrived on scene. It later went to beyond a third alarm.
“Once I got on location, I realized it was more than a second alarm,” says Newton.
The business had already closed for the day and the owners were working in a garage on the south side of the fire when it was discovered.
Newton says water supply was an issue as soon as they arrived on scene. There was not enough water pressure in the hydrant across the street and the hydrant was not able to supply the first engine on scene with water.
“At that point we dealt with what we had and used tankers to supply the engines with water.”
Newton says he told fire crews to not wear their jackets so no one would be at risk of overheating or collapsing from heat. He says he did not want to put fire crews at risk and keeping them hydrated was important.
The 9 companies on scene were able to knock down the fire in a little over an hour. Tonight they are keeping it contained and a lot of overhaul will go on into the evening.
The business was able to bring in some equipment to sift through the burning rubble and break up the fire. Ed Arnold Scrap processing did install water lines at their facility recently to help during incidents like this, but they were not installed in the area of today’s fire.
No one was injured in the blaze and a cause has yet to be determined.