MILWAUKEE- Black smoke could be seen billowing from the Milwaukee Recycling Center Wednesday afternoon.
No flames could be seen but the Milwaukee Department of Public Works says a small fire on the inside of the building near 13th and West Mt. Vernon Avenue was reported just after 2 p.m. Wednesday.
“At approximately 1:45 PM today, staff from Republic Services discovered what was initially a small fire in the paper storage bunker, a holding bin where the sorted grade of material accumulates prior to being baled and eventually shipped out as a commodity. Staff immediately activated the facility’s Deluge System which is a supplemental fire suppression system recently added to complement the sprinkler system and to direct larger volumes of water to specific zones of higher fire risk. The operator also contacted 911. The heat also activated the facility’s main sprinkler system,” DPW said in a statement. “All personnel in the facility were safely evacuated. MFD responded to the incident and we very much appreciate their efforts. Once the fire is contained and the building is given an all clear, our operator will assess the full extent of the damage and its expected impact on the operations.”
While the Milwaukee DPW oversees the facility, Milwaukee’s recycling operations is run by a group called Republic Services. Republic Services handles recycling and waste services for more than 100 communities in Wisconsin. The company has not responded to WTMJ’s request for comment.
As of Wednesday evening, DPW said it did not expect normal recycling operations to be affected but that they are investigating alternate locations to bring recycled materials if the center is not available.
