PISCATAWAY, N.J. (WCBS 880) — Two firefighters were injured Tuesday battling a massive five-alarm blaze at a PepsiCo factory in New Jersey.
The fire broke out just after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the plant in Piscataway, filling the evening sky with bright orange flames and thick black smoke.
There were several explosions that could be heard for miles away, most likely CO2 canisters for carbonating beverages.
PepsiCo said in a statement late Tuesday that, "All employees and people who were in the facility have been evacuated with no injuries."
More than 100 volunteer firefighters from all across Middlesex County responded to the blaze.
"I give a lot of credit to the volunteer firefighters here in Piscataway and the mutual aid that came in from around Middlesex County. I have to say this worked very seamlessly at this event, all those years of training and exercises actually paid off," Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler said. "Also the safety measures that PepsiCo put in place with their employees paid off to."
The fire was brought under control by 11 p.m.
Wahler said it appears the fire might have started with wooden pallets outside and then spread to the main building where they make Mountain Dew.
New Jersey's Forest Fire Service managed to keep the flames from spreading to nearby fields and woods.
"This was the first time that we actually had the New Jersey State Fire Forest Service actually come on an event in Piscataway, but that was as a precaution to make sure that the woods didn't go up there," Wahler said. "But I got to tell you we're going to be working closely with PepsiCo to get this plant back in operation cause there's a lot of jobs on the line here."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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