One person is missing following a fire at a waste management facility in Elizabeth, according to a city spokesperson.

The fire broke out Tuesday at the Julia Street Transfer Station near Division Street around 2 p.m. Large plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles.

The spokesperson says that it is believed that the fire may have started from the machinery inside the facility.

This is a transfer station, which means that garbage trucks bring the garbage there and then it is taken to a landfill. There is mostly paper inside the facility, which continues to burn.

A couple of dozen workers were inside when the fire started. They say they heard a pop and then a warning of fire over the radio.

Officials say there is concern about the structural integrity of the building.

Several people who lived in homes nearby were told to evacuate.

News 12 New Jersey has reached out to Waste Management for further details but did not hear back.