Pensacola alleges EMR Southern Recycling had “deficiencies” in complying with instructions from the city fire marshal to prevent fires at the scrap metal yard on Bayou Chico.
A fire occurred at the scrap yard on May 26 that required 32 firefighters, and—over the course of 12 hours—involved the responses from the Pensacola Fire Department, Escambia County Emergency Management, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Escambia County put out a warning for a smoke plume that stretched as far away as Pine Forest High School, more than 6 miles to the northwest.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said the fire was actually the fifth at the facility in two years, not the fourth as the city officials had previously said.
Pensacola City Attorney Adam Cobb sent a letter to EMR on June 1 that said the city believes the fire marshal’s instructions to improve safety at the facility weren’t followed.
“The City’s investigation of this week’s fire is ongoing; however, initial investigations indicate deficiencies in compliance with the Fire Marshal’s prior instructions,” Cobb wrote.
Cobb’s letter added that each one of the five fires at the facility was a “significant, but largely avoidable, risk to the health and safety of people and property” around it.
Reeves said EMR officials responded and are scheduling a meeting with the city to discuss fire safety at the facility.
EMR is dealing with similar issues in New Jersey, where a facility in Camden, New Jersey, is coming under criticism from local officials there after a dozen fires since 2020. A fire on May 29 caused air quality alerts in Philadelphia.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola scrapyard fires were ‘largely avoidable,’ early investigation finds
Reporting by Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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