By Ellen Gerst
Chattanooga Times Free Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A fire at a Chattanooga scrap metal recycling facility Tuesday morning closed traffic on South Market Street and sent up a large plume of black smoke seen across the area.
Firefighters responded to Gerdau Metals Recycling at 2912 S. Market St. around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, dispatch records show. The fire was out by around 11:30 a.m., the Chattanooga Fire Department said in a news release. No injuries were reported.
The fire started from a cutting torch being used in the scrapyard, the department said.
Crews first thought they were headed to a vehicle fire but arrived to find multiple cars on fire in the scrap yard, according to the release. Tires, fuel, debris and other material in the yard fueled the fire, the department said.
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