Crews respond to report of fire inside Cohen Recycling in Middletown

UPDATE @ 11:15 a.m.

A fire in the filtration system of a Middletown recycling has been contained but is being monitored, the city’s fire chief said.

Crews responded to a report of the fire at Cohen Recycling on Verity Parkway at about 10:35 a.m. today. Emergency dispatches indicated smoke could be seen coming out of the building.

Employees evacuated and stood out by the road, and smoke was visible from the back of the structure.

There were on injuries reported, said Middletown fire Chief Paul Lolli. Firefighters were on the roof to determine whether the fire spread into the roof, but they indicated it had not yet, Lolli said.

The fire was reported out at 12:41 p.m.

An official with Cohen said fires sometimes start because of the combustibles recycled, but typically they’re extinguished by the fire suppression unit.

Adam Dumes, senior vice-president with Cohen, said sparks sometimes start fires in the recycling business because of the materials in some of the items.

He said no Cohen employees were injured in the fire. He said the “health and safety” of the employees is always “No. 1 priority.”

 

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