Dozens of Fire Units Battle Blaze at Phoenix Recycling Yards

PHOENIX (AP) — Dozens of fire crews from metro Phoenix battled a large fire that involved multiple recycling yards and commercial buildings and sent black smoke over much of the city on Saturday.

Fire Capt. Todd Keller, a Phoenix Fire Department spokesman, said the fire involved five commercial buildings and multiple recycling yards, including at least one tire business.

“We’ll be out here throughout the night,” Keller replied when asked how long it would take to put out the fire.

There was no immediate report of any injury or word on what started the fire, Keller said.

The dozens of fire units dispatched to the fire included ladder trucks that used elevated water cannons to shoot water down onto the fire.

The Fire Department’s website indicated that units responding to the fire included at least 40 fire engines and 12 ladder trucks as well as numerous command personnel and special-purpose vehicles.

The response included units from at least three other cities, Keller said.

One firefighter was hospitalized in stable condition with a lower extremity injury, Keller told the Arizona Republic.

By Saturday night, Phoenix fire officials said crews were gaining control of the blaze and would work overnight to put out remaining hot spots.

Alicia Sylvester, 20, a Phoenix resident and Arizona State University student, told the Republic that she stopped at the scene of the fire for about 20 minutes after seeing how close the fire was to her workplace.

“We all got kind of worried, so we pulled off to the side and were asking people, `Oh what’s going on?”’ she said.