Major recycling plant blaze in south El Paso contained by firefighters

A fire burning at a recycling plant in south El Paso on Friday afternoon produced black smoke plumes that could be seen from other parts of the city, before it was contained by firefighters.

The fire department described the blaze at W. Silver Recycling Inc. at North Lee and Olive Avenue.as a “condition four,” signaling heavy flames and smoke. That’s the highest level on the EPFD’s severity scale.

It broke out around 12:15 p.m. and was said to be largely “knocked down” by firefighters shortly before 3 p.m. Fire crews continued to work into the evening putting out hot spots at the fire scene.

There were no reports of any injures, fire officials said. A cause for the blaze had not yet been determined.

The fire-damaged facility is located in a heavily-industrial area that contains auto shops and warehouses. The fire scene was about two blocks from Douglas Elementary School and one block from the Rescue Mission of El Paso.

According to its website, W. Silver Recycling has been operating for over 100 years and is one of the nation’s leading recyclers. The company handles a wide range of materials including metal, plastics, batteries and computer parts.