Fire at Scrap Metal Refinery in NW Miami-Dade Under Control

MDFR units evacuated around 20 employees from the plant.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A three-alarm scrap metal fire in Northwest Miami-Dade is under control, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said.

Fire crews received the call regarding a fire at Ferrous Processing & Trading Company, a recycling center located on the 3700 block of North River Drive, at around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.

“Upon arrival, units encountered a scrap pile of metal with a large body fire with heavy heat and smoke,” said MDFR Battalion Chief John Meic. 

Over 45 MDFR units, including hazmat arrived at the scene of the blaze to find a column of thick black smoke covering the sky after a blaze engulfed a pile of recycling material close to a casino.

Fire crews deployed multiple hose lines to conduct a fire attack, as two fireboats and ladder units assisted from the water and overhead.

Video provided by MDFR shows crews battling the flames. The fire fight took nearly four hours to extinguish the blaze.

“Anytime you’re dealing with any sort of scrap metal and everything else, all this stuff people throw away, it burns really hot, really dark, really black. It kinds of puts on a show,” said Meic.

7Skyforce hovered above the plant where a cloud of smoke was seen rising into the sky and blowing to the southwest.

“You’ll see that recycling material there is burning. We don’t know how that fire started. It hasn’t been determined,” said 7Skyforce reporter Ralph Rayburn.

MDFR units evacuated around 20 employees from the plant.

One of those workers, Evelio Pérez, was about to drop something off at work when he saw the responding officials.

“I came to drop off. I work here and just saw what was happening, so we just returned home. I don’t know exactly what happened,” he said.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

The haze obstructed the road for drivers in the area near Miami International Airport as crews worked to combat the flames.

“I was driving past the airport, and I just see behind me this huge ball of fire,” said witness Hector Ossa.

No injuries have been reported.

It is not the first time this recycling center has erupted in flames. Last year, a fire erupted inside the center. No injuries were reported at that time.

“It’s not uncommon at metal scrap yards or junk yards. Every so often we’ll get a large fire there that takes up a couple of alarms usually, usually very manpower intensive,” said Meic.

MDFR has advised those with respiratory conditions to avoid traveling in the area.

Courtesy: www.wsvn.com

• April 24, 2025: Scrap Gold Prices Dropped, Platinum and Silver Jumped on the Index
• April 24, 2025: Chinese Scrap Metal Prices Exhibited Mixed Trend on the Index
• Mondi’s Containerboard Portfolio Ready to Meet the Rising Demand for Sustainable Packaging
• Man Convicted of Stealing Nearly $100K Worth of Rebar and Scrap Metal from Sioux City Business