A fire broke out at a Jersey City recycling plant -- impacting the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail just as the evening rush hour was underway.
The multi-alarm blaze started shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday at a recycling plant on Cavan Point Avenue and firefighters were still attempting to bring it under control hours later. A cloud of smoke hung over Jersey City well into the night, as crews were still putting out hotspots after midnight.
Chopper 4 was over the scene as firefighters continued to fight the blaze. A thick black plume of smoke was seen billowing out of Reliable Paper Recycling -- a massive structure located across the Hudson River from Manhattan. It is one of the largest recycling companies in the tri-state area.
A worker at the facility said that the fire started in the back of the warehouse where cardboard bales are stored. Employees tried to extinguish the flames, but it spread too quickly as the wind fanned the flames.
Nearby, brush also caught fire after embers were blown around, sparking fires in and around an adjacent railroad track.
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The inferno impacted the nearby light rail, causing the suspension of the Hudson-Bergen line in both directions between Liberty State Park and the 45th Street Station. Service would not be restored until around 10 p.m.
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Roads around Cavan Point Avenue were closed off.
Additional help was requested in an attempt to stop the fire from spreading onto the New Jersey Turnpike particularly during the evening commute. One nearby exit on the westbound side was briefly shut down due to the smoke.
No workers were injured, as everyone was able to evacuate safely. Two firefighters were said to have suffered minor injuries.
"With the embers flying around and the radiant heat, it can catch you real quick and you get the burns on the face," said Jersey City Fire Department Deputy Chief William McClintock.
