Lithium-ion battery likely caused massive junkyard fire in Camden, EMR Metal Recycling says

By Alexandra Simon

Click here for updates on this story

    CAMDEN, New Jersey (KYW) — A massive fire that took hours to put out at a Camden junkyard was likely caused by a lithium-ion battery, the recycling company that owns the facility said.

In a statement released Sunday, EMR Metal Recycling said the battery was “wrongly delivered” to the shredding facility and “undetectably concealed within scrap metal.”

“EMR does not recycle – and has never recycled – lithium-ion batteries. We expressly prohibit scrap metal suppliers from delivering them to us,” the company said.

A spokesperson from Camden County also confirmed that the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, lithium-ion battery fires can happen when batteries are damaged, crushed or exposed to water, they’re overcharged, they’ve been exposed to extreme temperatures or are simply a defective product. “Lithium-ion batteries store a lot of energy in a small amount of space,” the organization says. “When that energy is released in an uncontrolled manner, it generates heat, which can turn certain internal battery components into flammable and toxic gases.”

The fire broke out around 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 and grew so large that between 15-20 fire companies responded to try and put out the blaze, Camden Fire Department Chief Jesse Flax said. Crews got the fire under control around 1:15 a.m. Saturday, though hot spots were still producing smoke before being completely extinguished by 5 a.m.

EMR said their site has “extensive damage and will require significant repairs.”

In their statement, EMR also called on federal and state lawmakers to take immediate action in regulating lithium-ion batteries. “EMR and the recycling industry have consistently appealed for the regulation of these lethal devices but to no avail,” they said.

“The federal government and New Jersey must take action to regulate the influx of these batteries into commerce… Lithium-ion battery manufacturers, companies that use the batteries in their products, and end users must be regulated to ensure that there are adequate disposal methods available for these non-recyclable items, with large penalties for those who do not comply,” the statement continued in part.

Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli told CBS News Philadelphia that Friday’s fire was the sixth – and by far the largest – at the facility since 2021. “This is something that cannot happen again, we simply cannot have this happen again,” Cappelli said.

Residents living in the area said the situation was “traumatizing.” Aliyia Jones told CBS Philadelphia she scrambled to get her disabled mother out of their house so they could spend a night at a hotel, which was paid for by EMR.

“At first I didn’t have a real go-to plan I just knew I wanted to get her far away from the fire,” Jones said.

In total, EMR said it provided more than 100 hotel rooms and meals to Camden residents living near the fire. On Saturday, city officials said the EPA and DEP tested the air for pollution and confirmed it was safe to breathe.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.