NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Streets were closed for several hours east of downtown New Haven Friday afternoon as a massive fire at a New Haven scrap metal yard burned but was kept under control by the fire department.
For about an hour early Friday afternoon, intense, thick smoke billowed from the Alderman-Dow Iron & Metal Company on Chapel St. So what could've ignited the blaze?
"It could be various sources," said New Haven Assistant Fire Chief Terrence Rountree. "Friction could be one. Heat could be another."
Heat can combine with vapors or a splash of gas and ignite. And officials said fires at scrap metal yards are not uncommon.
"Explosions happen when there's scrap metal because it could be any combination of batteries, fuel vapors and boom it goes," said Rick Fontana, the Director of New Haven Emergency Operations.
The Alderman-Dow scrap yard contains various types of light metal, including washers, dryers, refrigerators and even old vehicles. The dry weather could be a factor in this fire too, according to fire officials.
"We're dragging metal along this concrete and all we need is a couple of good sparks to catch some of that insulation and we've got a full-blown fire," said Douglas Wardlaw, Supervisor of the New Haven Fire Marshal's Office.
Wardlaw added that few fires are more challenging to investigate than those in a scrap yard.
"You have tons of metal debris, you have sharp items, you have hotspots where that metal is still somewhat warm," Wardlaw said.
While it was fortunate the wind was not blowing in the direction of nearby I-95, the smoke was pushed in the direction of some Fair Haven neighborhoods.
"We will meter once we get a moment to do so, but the way this wind is moving it's got a good wind so it's gonna push it out and push it up so pretty much there is no big threat," said Rountree.
Billed on their website as New Haven's oldest scrap yard, dating back to the 1800s, the owner of Alderman-Dow declined FOX61's request for an interview.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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