A fire at a metal recycling plant grew on Sunday to cover 2 acres of the operation, the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department said.
The fire at OmniSource Corp.’s plant in the 1400 block of West Mountain Street started shortly before 4 p.m. Fire crews arrived to find a large scrap pile engulfed in flame, and fire from the pile had extended into an adjacent conveyor belt structure, the department said.
The fire quickly escalated, and the Winston-Salem, Piney Grove, Walkertown, and Forsyth County fire department sent crews to assist
One firefighter was taken to Forsyth Medical Center for evaluation, but no other injuries were reported.
No information about the firefighter’s injuries or condition was available except that he was admitted to the hospital for observation.
The fire has produced a significant column of black smoke visible from surrounding areas, and Forsyth County Emergency Management conducted air quality monitoring and assessed potential water runoff concerns, the fire department said.
A hazardous materials crew also was sent.
OmniSource workers assisted firefighters by using heavy machinery to sort and separate burning piles so crews could reach hot spots, the fire department said.
Because of extreme heat within the piles, firefighters remained on the scene into Monday morning.
Over 1 million gallons of water was poured onto the fire during the course of the operation, the fire department said.
A fire also started at OmniSource in January 2023, but it was much smaller and was under control about 15 minutes after firefighters arrived, the fire department said at the time.
