Massive fire at Newark port junkyard spews smoke over NYC – New York Daily News
A massive fire at a Newark port junkyard on Tuesday affected air quality in New York City as smoke from the noxious blaze hung over Manhattan and the Bronx.
The fire erupted in a pile of scrap metal about 7:30 p.m. Monday and was still burning on Tuesday afternoon. Heavy flames and thick smoke could be seen wafting over the Hudson River from the Eastern Metal Recycling Terminal at the Port of Newark, just a short distance from Newark Liberty International Airport.
No flights were reported grounded by the smoke.
On Tuesday morning, New York City’s Office of Emergency Management sent out an alert that residents in Manhattan and the Bronx “may see or smell smoke.”
WABC News Meteorologist Jeff Smith said Tuesday that air quality in the city had been affected by the fire and that residents in Manhattan and the Bronx with underlying conditions might want to avoid outside activity.
The cause of the blaze was being investigated Tuesday. No injuries were reported.
This is the second recent New Jersey fire that led to air quality concerns in the surrounding area.
On Jan. 14, a chemical plant blaze in Passaic, N.J., nearly sparked an evacuation of surrounding areas but the fire was contained before the flames could reach buildings with the most noxious substances, the Passaic mayor said.
