Lithium battery blamed for igniting Camden scrapyard fire, leaders demand facility to be shut down

Camden EMR plant faces closure after latest fire

Camden city and county leaders have called for the shutdown of EMR USA Metal Recycling after another fire at the facility, prompting air quality concerns and community frustration. 

CAMDEN - A lithium battery is being blamed for igniting a massive fire at a Camden scrapyard facility on Friday morning, prompting local leaders to demand the facility be shut down.

What we know:

Firefighters from the Camden Fire Department were called to the EMR Camden Scrap Metal Junkyard on 6th Street around 3 a.m.

Drone footage shared by a FOX 29 News viewer showed heavy flames consuming a pile of scrap and debris within the junkyard.

Firefighters placed the fire under control at 7:30 a.m., but smoke could still be seen billowing hours later as the flames smoldered.

No injuries were reported.

Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax told reporters the fire was within a scrap pile, making it hard to get to.

"It's deep-seated, so we have to work with EMR to kind of pull some of the pile apart just so we can get to the bottom of where the fire is at," Flax said. 

The City of Camden initially told residents near the fire to remain indoors while air quality testing was being conducted. Residents were later given the all-clear after the air quality improved.

City officials said EMR recently installed fire suppression equipment to prevent future fires, but the Camden fire chief said one of the suppression units failed to turn on initially. 

Last year, FOX 29 covered a massive fire at the same complex. EMR made a multi-million dollar investment in fire safety equipment, but Jeff Nash said, "We know they made a multi-million dollar investment we appreciate that effort, but sometimes you try and you fail and that’s what happened here…." 

What they're saying:

In a statement, EMR blamed an improperly disposed litium-ion battery for sparking the fire. They called on New Jersey and federal authorities to establish regulations and guidelines about the disposal of lithium-ion batteries. 

"This incident is a reminder of the serious and growing challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries being improperly disposed of and finding their way into recyclable materials," EMR wrote. "EMR USA continues to urge New Jersey and federal authorities to establish clear, enforceable regulations governing lithium battery disposal."

EMR said it will pause operations at the Camden facility as an investigation into the fire unfolds.

Firefighters battle junkyard fire in Camden, air quality concerns remain

Air quality concerns remain after firefighters battled a massive junkyard fire early Friday morning in Camden. 

Leaders in Camden have urged state and federal bodies to shut down EMR, citing past fires that have caused similar air quality concerns for local residents. 

"Enough is enough, we’ve heard the same stories before about lithium-ion batteries and their dangers, but that story line is old and irrelevant at this point," a joint statement from Commissioner Jeffery Nash and Mayor Vic Carstarphen said. 

"The city has worked with EMR in the past to try to improve their facility, but having another two-alarm fire that created smoke plumes throughout Camden County into Gloucester Township is unacceptable and leaving children and families exposed to the acrid smoke on their way to work and school is intolerable."

Leaders held a press conference at 1 p.m. regarding their calls for the EMR to be shut down.

EMR says it is launching an independent review

EMR released a statement saying, "We are announcing the immediate engagement of an independent fire safety and operations review of the facility. The review will be conducted by a qualified, third-party firm and will examine the root cause of this morning’s incident, the performance of our fire suppression and detection systems, operational protocols, and any corrective measures warranted." 

The company also said, "We have already ceased receiving recyclable materials at the shredder and are pausing shredder operations pending the outcome of this review." EMR’s statement comes after city and county leaders called for a full stop at the facility.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear how long the EMR facility will remain closed or what specific corrective actions will be taken following the independent review.