CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — More than 100 homes in Camden were evacuated on Friday while a fire burned at a scrap yard, sending smoke plumes that could be seen for miles drifting high above the city. Officials say lithium-ion batteries are what caused the fire to grow so large and burn so hot.
There have been several fires at the EMR Metal Recycling facility in Camden over the years, but none quite like this.
“It wasn’t just a fire. It was like fighting a volcano, because the materials that were burning were that hot,” said County Commissioner Lou Cappelli.
“We cannot have these fires in the future. This is simply unacceptable.”
When a lithium-ion battery overheats—either while charging, or after being dropped, crushed or pierced—it can burst, releasing toxic, flammable gases. When lithium batteries ignite, they burn extremely hot, making the resulting fire difficult to extinguish.
Cappelli says the batteries shouldn’t end up at scrap yards in the first place, but there are gaps in regulations for appliances and other large items that prevent it.end up in scrap yards.
“Companies or individuals that deliver products for recycling at that facility are not supposed to deliver products with lithium batteries in them. So we have to come up with a way to determine which appliances have lithium batteries so that they can be rejected at the site,” Cappelli said.
“If you have a lithium battery in a microwave or a washer or dryer, there is no federal rule that says you must disclose that on the washer or dryer or whatever appliance it is.”
He is asking the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA for help to ensure this sort of fire never happens again, not just in Camden but anywhere. He wants to require some sort of marker to show a battery is inside of consumer products.
It’s unacceptable for residents near scrapyards to live in constant fear of fires, Cappelli said.
“We have to do two things. We have to eliminate these fires altogether. But two, if these fires start, we need to come up with a better system to fight them.”
It’s unclear how many lithium batteries were on site. Cappelli says this is all under investigation.
EMR Camden has not responded to our request for comment.