Jersey City firefighter injured while putting out fire at recycling center
The owner of All American Recycling Corp Frank Ponte says the fire started at 2 a.m. and was under control in a few hours.
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A fire at a recycling center is raising concerns about how residents in New Jersey are recycling and how throwing the wrong waste items in their bins could lead to a fire.
Jersey City officials are investigating a cause, but the owner of All American Recycling Corp believes the fire could have been prevented. He says an improperly disposed battery was probably to blame.
"If they're throwing in toys or anything with lithium batteries or any kind of different batteries, it sparks with the paper and it'sjust kindling," says Frank Ponte, owner of All American Recycling Corp. "It goes up really quick and that's how these fires start."
Jersey City Officials say a large pile of paper was on fire, along with an area in and around a building earlier this morning. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The firefighter was treated and released.
This recycling facility has been in Jersey City since the '60s. Ponte is fourth-generation and has seen a concerning trend.
"Five or six years we've been seeing a huge increase all across the country in different recycling facilities. Started having fires and a lot of problems because of these batteries," says Ponte.
The National Fire Protection Association says to bring lithium-ion batters to a recycling location for proper disposal or to contact community officials for instructions.
