Saint Paul Firefighters Battle 2 Recycling Center Fires
Newport Fire and Saint Paul Hazmat crews on scene of a fire in Newport Thursday evening. MN CRIME PHOTO
fire crews responded to two different blazes at commercial recycling centers Thursday evening, both reportedly caused by construction debris igniting within larger waste piles.
Fire crews are investigating the cause of a fire that ignited in a debris pile at the Washington Recycling & Energy Center at 100 Red Rock Road in Newport.
Saint Paul Fire Hazmat was requested by Newport Fire officials due to the presence of potentially hazardous materials that ignited the fire. Hazmat officials on scene believe the ignition may be linked to calcium oxide, a compound often used in concrete mixtures. Known as quicklime, calcium oxide is not directly flammable but can react with water in an exothermic reaction, producing enough heat to ignite nearby materials.
Staff at the recycling center are working to trace the origin of the debris containing the substance. Fire crews remained on scene for about four hours working to extinguish the fire.
The Saint Paul Fire Department also stated that earlier, at 6:09 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a commercial fire at Veolia Environment Services, a transfer station at 309 Como Avenue in Saint Paul.
According to officials, a fire started after construction debris was dropped off. An employee noticed a small fire within the interior debris pile, which was quickly moved outside using heavy equipment. Crews on site used a loader to spread out the pile and extinguish the fire. Crews ultimately determined the debris was non-toxic.
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