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A lithium ion battery is believed to have sparked a large fire at the Metalico recycling plant in DeWitt on Sunday (September 28). The fire began early in the morning and took several hours to contain due to the substantial amount of burning material. According to DeWitt Fire District Chief Jason C. Green, the fire was confined to a pile of metal materials on the property, and employees used heavy equipment to help firefighters access and extinguish the flames more effectively.
The fire, reported at 6:37 a.m., continued burning well into the late morning. Firefighters faced challenges due to the large volume of material, and they opted not to use foam to suppress the flames because of environmental concerns related to groundwater contamination. Despite the thick smoke visible from miles away, Chief Green stated that there were no immediate health or safety risks to nearby residential areas, as the fire occurred in a commercial zone.
No injuries have been reported, and Thompson Road remains closed between James and Grover streets as crews continue their efforts to fully extinguish the fire. While the cause of the fire has not been officially determined, the lithium ion battery is the primary suspect. Metalico has not announced when it will resume accepting scrap metal from the public.