A massive three-alarm commercial building fire erupted early Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Greenstar Recycling, which is located at 799 Smith Lane in Northampton.
A press release provided by Mike Dreisbach from Northampton Fire Department stated that firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 5:29 a.m., initiating what would become an extensive, multi-day firefighting operation of the more than 45,000-square-foot recycling complex owned by Waste Management, which is full of many flammable materials such as plastic, cardboard, paper and other recyclable materials.
The fire was carried from the main building to a second building via a conveyor belt, but the metal and concrete structure of the buildings was able to contain the fire.
Upon arrival, first responders found heavy flames engulfing the commercial building, prompting a second alarm at 5:37 a.m. and a third alarm at 5:45 a.m. By this time, a request was made for 10 water tanker trucks to aid in fire suppression efforts, as the two nearest hydrants could not meet the high water demand.
Throughout the morning, additional fire pumpers, ladder trucks and tankers were dispatched to battle the blaze. Around 6 p.m., the initial tankers were replaced by others from nearby fire departments. Finally, at 9:45 p.m., the fire was declared under control, signaling a transition from fire suppression to overhaul operations as crews began disassembling the building to gain better access to the fire.
The Lehigh Valley Hazmat team monitored the air quality around the site and at Northampton Area High School and Middle School but found no threat to the public on Tuesday afternoon.
Fire operations were gradually scaled back, and by 11 p.m., mutual aid fire companies were released, leaving the Northampton Fire Department to maintain an overnight fire watch.
Despite the fire being under control, firefighters returned at 6 a.m. on Wednesday to continue dousing smoldering debris. Operations persisted until approximately 2 p.m., when all units left the scene.
The fire’s intensity and structural damage presented significant challenges. A partially collapsed metal roof, along with debris inside the concrete building that is roughly the size of a football field, made interior firefighting unsafe and firefighters could not enter with a hose line.
Aerial ladder trucks struggled to reach hotspots, necessitating demolition cranes to tear down sections of the roof. However, as of Feb. 10, cranes had not resumed work since Feb. 4, leaving much of the collapsed roof in place.
Given the limited water supply from nearby hydrants, tankers were continuously deployed from various counties, including Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon, Bucks and Monroe in Pennsylvania, as well as Warren County, New Jersey. These tankers were refilled at a hydrant at the Northampton Fire Station by pumpers from the Han-Le-Co Fire Department and later the Tatamy Fire Company.
Firefighters returned multiple times to wet down lingering smoldering debris. This included responses on Wednesday night, Thursday and Friday for further inspections.
Then, on Monday, Feb. 10, the Northampton Fire Department, along with fire companies from Allen Township, East Allen Township, Bath Borough and Klecknersville Rangers, responded at 8:26 p.m. in non-emergency mode to continue wetting down debris, leaving the scene at 11 p.m.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal continues investigating the cause of the fire, which is not yet known.
Support services were provided on-site by Lehigh Valley Hospital, which set up a heated tent, and North Penn Goodwill Service, which supplied canteen services such as food, drinks and restroom facilities for responders. No injuries have been reported.
With much of the roof still partially collapsed or intact, the fire department may need to return periodically to manage residual hot spots.
Currently, the building remains too dangerous for firefighters to enter, making the demolition process crucial in preventing further flare-ups and requiring the fire department to continue efforts to wet down smoldering debris.
