A fifty foot high mound of rubber tires caught fire Friday afternoon, burning into the night at the EMR Southern Recycling, known locally by its previous name Southern Scrap.
The fire sent huge plumes of black acrid smoke into the skies, visible from Downtown New Orleans and the Westbank.
The fire started around 5pm in the afternoon.
It’s unknown what started the blaze.
The fire continued burning into the night, consuming other items in the piles of scrap that could burn.
Officials told WWL-TV they were going to bring in bulldozers to break up the burning mount and clear the rubber.
Entire shifts of New Orleans Fire Department personnel were called to the scene.
Units already fighting the fire were changed out over time to ensure fire protection for the city was not affected.
The fire continues burning into Saturday with fire units still on scene.
