A fire broke out at a scrap yard in southwest Detroit early Wednesday, May 14, prompting a large response from fire crews and air quality checks as a burning odor drifted into several Wayne County communities.
The blaze was reported shortly after 3 a.m. at Ferrous Processing & Trading in the 3100 block of Lonyo Street, according to the Detroit Fire Department. Crews worked for several hours to fully contain the flames.
In order to access more water, firefighters had to stretch hoses across nearby railroad tracks, DFD’s director of media relations Corey McIsaac told the Free Press. By 6 a.m., the fire was under control. Crews then worked alongside scrap yard employees using heavy machinery to move debris and extinguish hot spots.
No injuries were reported.
Ferrous Processing & Trading is a scrap metal recycler based in southeast Michigan that serves the North American metals industry, including the U.S. auto sector, according to its website. The company processes and sells a variety of scrap metals, including nonferrous materials, industrial scrap, automotive parts, appliances and more.
Due to easterly winds, residents in surrounding Wayne County cities including Dearborn, Allen Park, Garden City, Melvindale, Dearborn Heights, Westland and Canton reported a noticeable “burning odor” throughout the morning, the Dearborn Fire Department posted to social media on May 14.
The Detroit Fire Department’s HAZMAT unit conducted air monitoring around 8:30 a.m. and reported no hazardous air quality conditions. Officials with the Wayne County Public Health are in contact with the city and continue to monitor the situation, according to the Dearborn Fire Department.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Scrap yard fire in SW Detroit stinks up several cities in Wayne County; air tests clear
Reporting by Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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