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On Monday afternoon, the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) reported a fire at the Smurfit Westrock recycling plant on West Beaver Street in Jacksonville\u2019s Mixon Town area.<\/p>\n
While most drivers were able to see the tower of smoke created by the fire anywhere around the Jacksonville metro, Pamela Robinson watched it all from a few hundred feet away.<\/p>\n
\u201cFire trucks were coming from this way and that way, I said \u2018oh! That\u2019s a real fire!\u201d said Robinson.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<<\/a><\/p>\n Robinson said she was visiting her godmother, who lives about two blocks away, when JFRD reported the fire around 4:15 PM. Robinson remembers hearing what sounded like an explosion, then seeing a thick tower of black smoke come from the area of the recycling plant.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw all the smoke come up,\u201d Robinson said, \u201cand I\u2019m like, \u2018that\u2019s Smurfit! Smurfit is on fire! Smurfit paper company is on fire!\u201d<\/p>\n JFRD said the cause of the fire, at this point, is unclear. JFRD told us the fire started in the main production building of the Smurfit Westrock plant, believing that somewhere between 5-10 employees to have been around at the time. JFRD said the fire burned through almost entirely paper products, rather than any other materials on site, but doesn\u2019t believe any faulty equipment or employees inside started the fire.<\/p>\n JFRD said the fire grew quickly because of the wind and dry weather conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just like what we\u2019ve been seeing with the brush fires,\u201d said JFRD District Chief A.W. Bebernitz, \u201cthe odds were stacked against our firefighters as they arrived on scene.\u201d<\/p>\n JFRD said no one was hurt because of the fire and, at this time, is still determining whether it will investigate the fire or if that will be left up to the state fire marshal. JFRD has reported about 11 other building fires like this already this year<\/a> and reported a total of 108 commercial building fires in 2025.<\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/a>]<\/p>\n