Phoenix Fire Department crews battled a two-alarm fire at a recycling yard near McDowell Road in central Phoenix on Thursday, responding to reports of a debris fire around 9:15 a.m. The blaze was upgraded to a second-alarm response because of its size and spread, though officials said no injuries were reported and fire control was later obtained.
Firefighters arriving at the scene found a large fire with heavy smoke coming from inside the recycling yard, according to the Phoenix Fire Department. The department upgraded the incident to a second-alarm assignment because of the size and spread of the blaze, bringing in additional crews and equipment. Crews sprayed water on the flames, turning the smoke from black to gray, and the Phoenix Fire Department later obtained fire control, according to ABC15 Arizona.
On May 22, crews responded to a four-alarm fire at a recycling plant near Downtown Phoenix, also near 22nd Avenue and McDowell Road.
No injuries were reported, and AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO) noted that no one was hurt despite the scale of the smoke plume. No firefighters were reported injured during the response, and the incident was handled without reported medical casualties.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to both ABC15 and AZFamily. Officials have not released a preliminary cause determination, and the triggering spark has not been identified in available reporting. The extent of damage to the recycling facility has not been detailed.
A towering column of black smoke rose over central Phoenix and was visible across the area. Drivers near the Stack interchange of Interstate 17 and Interstate 10 observed the smoke as crews worked to contain the blaze.
Reports differed on the exact location of the fire. ABC15 Arizona reported the fire was near 19th Avenue and McDowell Road, while AZFamily placed it at AIM Recycling on McDowell Road near 22nd Avenue. The location discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved in available reporting. The fire site is in central Phoenix, near the Stack interchange of Interstate 17 and Interstate 10.
The incident follows a series of recycling yard fires in the Phoenix area in recent months. That earlier fire involved exploding magnesium that caused spot fires, and HAZMAT crews were called in, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
A prior fire at the Arizona Pacific Pulp and Paper recycling plant was a three-alarm blaze, the second such fire at that facility within two years, records show. In March, a fire at a recycling yard also sent smoke across Phoenix, according to AZFamily. In December 2018, a scrap-yard fire near 19th Avenue and McDowell Road was reported as isolated to a portion of the site.
Officials have not indicated when a preliminary cause determination might be released, and the investigation remains open.
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