A stubborn brush fire burned for hours at a recycling plant in New Jersey Wednesday, at some points getting dangerously close to nearby homes before firefighters were able to get it under control.
Crews were called to the Long Branch recycling plant in the 2 p.m. hour and continued to fight the fire into the night.
Fire officials said winds kept fanning the flames, making it a challenge to put out the fire.
"We were seeing flames about 20 to 30 feet above the top of the pile, and the pile itself is about 30 feet tall," said Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Stout.
Stout said more than 100 firefighters from eight municipal departments were called in to fight the three-alarm blaze. Three departments remained on the scene by the end of the night and were able to keep the flames from spreading past the recycling yard.
No injuries were reported.
Neighbor Bernard Jones had just moved back into his Sixth Avenue home, badly damaged during Sandy, three weeks ago.
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"Once you get over the flood, and then you're gonna have a fire right next to it, it is kind of scary," he said.
Jones, who can't afford another setback, was relieved his home was spared from the fire.
"It would have been tragic."
