Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Technology tackles recycling company fire

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Firefighters battled a fire at Hawaii Metal Recycling Co. yesterday using
new "Quint" fire engines -- ladder and pumper units combined. The stubborn
fire, which smoldered for more than five hours, burned residual fiber, rubber
and plastic molding in derelict cars being processed for recycling at
Campbell Industrial Park. A spark apparently ignited gasoline
that had been left in the cars.

Recycling fire
burns 5 hours

A spark igniting leftover gasoline
caused the Campbell Industrial
Park fire, a fire captain says

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

A fire that burned residual fiber, rubber and plastic molding in derelict cars being processed for recycling smoldered for more than five hours yesterday at Campbell Industrial Park.

The fire at Hawaii Metal Recycling Co. caused nearby Germaine's Luau to cancel its evening activity -- affecting about 300 luau-goers.

A spark apparently ignited leftover gasoline as material for recycling was being lifted onto a conveyor belt from a stack about 40 feet high and 150 feet square, fire Capt. Richard Soo said.

Workers called the Fire Department at 2:43 p.m., and eight fire units and 30 firefighters responded from Kapolei, Waiau, Waipahu, Nanakuli and Makakilo, Soo said. A hazardous materials team was also called to the 91-056 Hanua St. site.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
A firefighter drags water hoses at yesterday's fire. No one was
injured, but 300 diners missed out when Germaine's
Luau cancelled its event.

No one was hurt, and smoke wafted out to sea on tradewinds. The stubborn fire, reported under control at 2:55 p.m., smoldered long after and was extinguished at 8:30 last night.

Joe DeMattos, Hawaii Metal Recycling spokesman, told reporters the derelict cars are brought there by city vendors. All oil, fuel, anti-freeze, tires and batteries are supposed to be removed from the vehicles.

Hawaii Metal Recycling employees assisted firefighters in dousing the smoldering mass. They kept on moving scrap, some of it still burning, onto the conveyor belt by crane to be shredded.

Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi praised two new "Quint" fire engines -- ladder and pumper units combined -- as they played heavy streams of water on the fire.

"This is some of that new technology that we've been updating the department with, and it's really been paying off here," he said.

Hawaii Metal Recycling exports about 120,000 tons of metal a year, DeMattos said. "It's the only metal recycling of its kind in Hawaii."