Massive fire sends plumes of heavy smoke over Camden, NJ
The call came in around 5 p.m. Friday for flames showing on the 1400 block of South Front Street.
Chopper 6: Massive junkyard fire sends plumes of smoke over Camden, NJ
CAMDEN, NJ (WPVI) — Crews are still battling a massive four-alarm fire burning at a metal recycling center in Camden County, New Jersey.
The call came in around 5 p.m. Friday for flames showing on the 1400 block of South Front Street in Camden.
Chopper 6 was overhead as heavy plumes of smoke billowed into the air.
The smoke could be seen across the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Wind gusts of 30mph sent the smoke into Haddonfield, Ashland, Somerdale and Voorhees.
Nearly 20 fire companies are working to contain the blaze, but officials said winds and water access have been a challenge.
“It’s a little difficult because we don’t have enough hydrants in the area because we’re isolated inside of a yard, so we’ve got to transport water from the hydrants,” said Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax.
No injuries have been reported.
Residents who are feeling ill can seek shelter at the Hilton Garden Inn in Camden.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Camden County police say the corner of 2nd St. and Atlantic Ave. is closed to traffic. Drivers are urged to avoid streets in this area.
Stay with Action News as we continue to follow this developing story.
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Massive junkyard fire rages in Camden
Camden Fire Department Chief Jesse Flax provides an update on the massive 4-alarm junkyard fire in Camden.
A massive fire broke out at a Camden junkyard Friday evening.
Thick, black smoke poured from the scene and was visible for miles beyond the location as fire devoured everything in its path.
CAMDEN, N.J. – A large fire began raging at a Camden, New Jersey junkyard Friday evening.
The thick, black smoke billowed up from the fire and was visible for miles beyond the site of the fire, while up close, huge flames were seen leaping out into the sky.
A huge 4-alarm fire is burning at what is said to be a junkyard in Camden.
What we know:
Camden Fire Department Chief Jesse Flax stated the fire broke out at a junkyard on the 1400 block of South Front Street, in Camden, around 5 p.m.
Explaining the fire scene, Chief Flax said, “We have a large trash fire, in a sense. We have vehicles, scrap metal, debris all burning right now. It’s a very large pile.”
Camden fire crews are battling a massive fire in what is said to be a junkyard.
What they’re saying:
Chief Flax said fire crews were making some progress, but it was slow, due to, “We don’t have enough hydrants because we’re isolated inside of in a yard. So, we’ve got to transport water from hydrants all over the city.”
Crews were asking people to avoid the area around the 1400 block of South Front Street while crews worked to douse the inferno.
What’s next:
Chief Flax said the fire department was coordinating with the city and county OEM and air quality testing was happening, in order to determine residents were not going to suffer from the effects of the smoke.
Additionally, he said if residents were feeling ill, they don’t have to remain at home, adding, “They can seek alternative shelters in the Hilton Garden Inn and the City of Camden is prepared to open their community shelters.”
He also advised residents who are feeling poorly to seek medical attention.
No injuries have been reported. No cause of the blaze was given.
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Junkyard fire in Camden, New Jersey causes large clouds of black smoke
Watch CBS News
By Jessica MacAulay, Siafa Lewis, Sean Tallant, Ben Payne
Updated on: February 21, 2025 / 9:15 PM EST / CBS Philadelphia
Firefighters are battling a junkyard fire in Camden, New Jersey, that broke out at around 5 p.m., according to Camden County emergency officials.
The fire at EMR Metal Recycling, which is in the area of 1500 South 6th Street in South Camden, has grown to four alarms and has roughly 15-20 fire companies working to extinguish the blaze, according to Chief of the Camden Fire Department, Jesse Flax.
Flax said vehicles, scrap metal and debris are among the contents burning in the large pile. And while fire crews have made progress, they’re facing some difficulty because the scene is isolated inside of the yard. Meaning there aren’t enough fire hydrants in the area.
“So we’ve got to transport water from the hydrants that’s all around the city, that takes a little bit of doing,” Flax said. Camden Fire Department is also coordinating with the Office of Emergency Management as they work to get the fire under control.
Camden County officials said no injuries have been reported at this time.
For any South Camden residents in need, Flax said they can seek shelter at the Hilton Garden Inn at 1 Penn Street in Camden. If you show identification, the hotel will give you a complimentary room while they’re still available.
The city is also prepared to open up its community centers if needed to shelter more residents.
“We’ve gotten this fire periodically throughout the years,” Flax said. “We just gotta make sure that we’re monitoring downwind of the incident.”
Air quality tests are also being conducted.
“It’s detrimental. If you have kids with asthma, elderly people, I personally would be keeping my windows shut or go somewhere farther just for the meantime,” David McIntosh, who said he works at Camden’s Adventure Aquarium, said.
As of Friday evening, Flax said that residents in Camden and surrounding communities who said they saw the smoke, shouldn’t be worried. However, if you feel you need to seek medical attention, then you’re encouraged to do so.
Just over the bridge, the city of Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management said smoke may be present in the city and visible in Camden. Smoke from the fire could be seen in South Philly. The smoke billowed into other parts of Camden County and even Burlington County.
Philadelphia OEM urged residents in the area to avoid unnecessary smoke exposure.
The city’s health department also advised neighbors to do the following in order to avoid poor air quality: avoid going outside, avoid excessive activity if you do have to go outside, wear a mask if accessible, close all of your windows and recirculate air with fans.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
Jessica MacAulay is a digital producer for CBSPhiladelphia.com. Jessica started out her career in broadcast journalism originally as an intern for CBS Philadelphia. She covers breaking news, local community and crime stories.
© 2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
