Fire at Northern Metal Recycling plant in Minneapolis declared accidental

A fire that broke out Wednesday in a scrap pile at Northern Metal Recycling in Minneapolis has been declared accidental, according to the Minneapolis Fire Department.

Fire officials say it was reported that the fire spontaneously combusted in the center of the pile.

Crews had to use aerial ladder water towers to put out portions of the fire. A crane at the site was also used to move piles of metal to expose buried fires and hot spots.

Northern Metal came under scrutiny last year following a massive fire at the company’s recycling facility in Becker, Minnesota, that took several days to extinguish.

Inspectors found several fire safety violations at the Minneapolis plant last February, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ordered the company to shut down its facilities in Becker and Minneapolis until they complied with the agency’s requirements. The Minneapolis facility was allowed to open a week later.

Despite numerous air quality tests and concerns about metal particulates dispersing from the Becker fire, no hazardous materials were detected.