Tallahassee firefighters extinguished a massive fire outside of the Marpan recycling center that was sparked by burning cardboard.
The Tallahassee Fire Department was dispatched just before 5 a.m. on Oct. 19 to the center on Woodville Highway, finding a huge pile of recyclable cardboard burning near a building, according to a TFD news release.
“The pile measured approximately 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 20 feet tall,” TFD said. That’s roughly the size of two side-by-side basketball courts, and two stories tall.
“Crews established a water supply using over 1,600 feet of five-inch supply hose and deployed multiple handlines and two aerial trucks to combat the fire.”
Using heavy equipment, Marpan employees worked with the firefighters to spread out the cardboard to help crews reach the burning materials.
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A vehicle fire temporarily blocked all eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Leon County on Thursday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. (FHP)
TFD said the fire was under control as of later in the morning, but crews were still on site to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and that there was no more burning material.
Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee firefighters battle massive recycling fire