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Scrap Yard Fire On Ohio Street

By Kyla Igoe
September 19, 2011 Updated Sep 19, 2011 at 1:37 PM EDT

Buffalo, NY (WKBW) - Thick black smoke billowed from Gerdau Ameristeel Recycling on Ohio street in Buffalo after flames engulfed a 20-foot tall scrap pile. Fire officials believe the pile consisted of tires, plastics, and metal. The site processes scrap metal and automobiles. Overnight workers say they were on their break when the large fire erupted. Firefighters battled the blaze for a couple hours, calling on a second alarm and extra equipment to tackle the heavy smoke and shooting flames. The smoke and flames could be seen for miles away. Due to the location of the fire, there was limited water so crews had to set up 5 inch water lines and use the Cotter Fire Boat to pull water from the Buffalo River. It's unclear what sparked the blaze, but fire officials are now actively investigating to see why the scrap pile ignited. The Gerdau Ameristeel Recycling workers on site were not injured but some firefighters received minor injures while tackling the difficult fire.

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