Long Island Rail Road service was restored in Nassau County Thursday morning after being suspended as a massive fire raged at a nearby waste-handling facility overnight, officials said. The six-alarm fire was still expected to burn for hours.
The blaze at Jamaica Ash & Rubbish Removal facility on Covert Lane was reported just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office. Part of the structure has collapsed from the unrelenting flames and more than 200 firefighters were still working to gain control of the fire early Thursday.
The size and nature of the facility are posing a challenge to efforts to extinguish the fire, officials said. Fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any immediate threat to the surrounding area.
However, nearby LIRR tracks have been affected and the railroad says service is suspended between Mineola and Hicksville. Riders are advised to utilize alternate branches if possible, such as the Hempstead, Babylon/Montauk or Oyster Bay branches.
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So far, no injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is unclear.
The 55,000-square-foot waste facility is one of the largest solid waste and environmental management companies in the Northeastern U.S., according to the facility's website.
