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Firefighters battle two-alarm blaze at NE Philly recycling center

Philadelphia firefighters on Sunday battled a two-alarm blaze at a Waste Management recycling facility in Holmesburg. The company said the fire was "minor."

Nonrecyclables — mostly plastic bags — are removed at Waste Management’s recycling facility in Northeast Philadelphia, which opened in 2011. A two-alarm fire was reported at the facility on Sunday.
Nonrecyclables — mostly plastic bags — are removed at Waste Management’s recycling facility in Northeast Philadelphia, which opened in 2011. A two-alarm fire was reported at the facility on Sunday.Read moreRON TARVER / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia firefighters on Sunday night struggled to contain a two-alarm blaze at a Waste Management trash recycling facility on the 5200 block of Bleigh Avenue in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia.

The fire at the Waste Management Material Recovery Facility was reported at 6:46 p.m. When first responders arrived, they found the fire inside. A second alarm was issued at 7:55 pm.

No injuries were reported. The cause is unknown.

A Waste Management spokesperson, John Hambrose, described the fire as “minor” and said it caused no damage. "We plan to be up and running in the morning,” Hambrose said in an e-mail Sunday night.

The large sheet-metal-clad building opened in 2011 to sort recyclable plastic, metal and paper into marketable commodities.

Crews remained on scene fighting the blaze.

Inquirer staff writer Frank Kummer contributed to this article.