Over 12 hours later, scrap yard fire continues to send plumes of smoke into sky in West Carrollton

WEST CARROLLTON — A fire at a scrap yard that started in West Carrollton Sunday afternoon, is continuing to send plumes of smoke into the sky Monday.

>>PHOTOS: Drone Pictures of West Carrollton Scrap Metal Fire

Firefighters from several departments remain on scene trying to put out the fire at the Cohen Recycling Center on Farmersville-West Carrollton Road.

They are also warning people to be cautious about the smoke coming from the scene.

Fire crews got the call of a fire at the scrap yard Sunday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. and as of 4:30 a.m. they are still working.

Crews have been hard at work on the ground tackling this fire at the Cohen Fire Recycling Center.

“We’ve probably got upwards of 50 firefighters,” Chris Fairchild, West Carrollton Police public information officer, said Sunday. “Probably between eight or nine difference agencies.”

As plumes of smoke traveled up in the air, it could be seen for miles.

“I was doing a bike ride here all the way up to Richmond,” Theodore Hale said. “On the way back from Richmond, I could see it bubbling all the way from Farmersville.”

“We were actually down near Cincinnati coming back to Dayton this morning,” Ben Silcox told Lewis. “We could see the smoke all the way from down there.”

West Carrollton Police said the fire started in a pile of a metal in this scrap yard but does not know what caused it.

>>PHOTOS: Crews battle fire in West Carrollton

“There’s appliances in there,” said Fairchild. “There’s car, there’s different metals.”

The company operates commercial metal recycling facilities throughout the Ohio Valley and its West Carrollton location is home to its automobile shredder, according to Cohen Recycling’s website.

“We don’t exactly know what’s burning,” Fairchild said. “It’s definitely not good to be breathing in.”

“Because we live in the Miami Valley and we’re seeing it go out across the entire valley,” Silcox said. “Whatever is in there is getting into people’s lungs to some degree.

Fairchild said the EPA has been notified but wants people in surrounding areas to take precautions as the smoke spreads throughout the area.

“If this starts to make it towards neighborhoods where the wind is changing direction, reach out families if you have respiratory issues,” he told Lewis. “We want you to seek help, vacate the area if need be if it’s something that’s going to cause long term effects for you.”

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“All hands on deck.” That’s how first responders describe the effort it’s taking to fight the fire.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Chuck Shields said.

No injuries were reported, according to West Carrollton Police.

News Center 7 has reached out to Cohen which is headquartered in Middletown to get a comment and is waiting to hear back.

News Center 7 will continue to update this story.