Fire breaks out at Texas wood recycling facility

A fire broke out at a wood recycling facility in Waco, Texas, on April 26 due to an internal combustion at one of the plant’s mulch pits, a report by KCEN says. 

Five local fire departments were dispatched at the Waco Wood & Recycling Materials plant at around 1 p.m. to put out the flames, which originally spread faster than crews could contain. According to the report, nearby homes were evacuated and pallet piles quickly caught on fire. Heavy winds created more difficulty for the firefighters.

Officials with the fire department told KCEN they had been to the facility several times in recent weeks to monitor an ongoing burn, the report says, with the burn getting out of control on Wednesday afternoon. Nearby neighbors said environmental agencies and fire departments were at the plant multiple times.

Firefighters battle the flame overnight, the report says. There were no injuries, but several employees were treated for smoke inhalation.