You are reading

Three-alarm fire erupts at Long Island City recycling facility, fueled by high winds: FDNY

The FDNY battled a three-alarm fire at a commercial recycling facility on the Queens side of Newtown Creek on Wednesday night. Photos courtesy of FDNY

Jan. 30, 2025 By Bill Parry

For the second time in five months, the FDNY battled a stubborn fire at a commercial recycling operation on Newtown Creek in the Blissville section of Long Island City on Wednesday night.

The three-alarm blaze broke out at around 9:30 p.m. at the Sims Metal recycling facility at 30-27 Greenpoint Ave. The FDNY went to a third alarm shortly after arriving, bringing 33 units and 138 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene between Van Dam Street and Railroad Avenue.

Photos courtesy of FDNY

Photos courtesy of FDNY

High winds of 25 miles per hour whipped the flames, and gusts of more than 50 mph further complicated the operation by reigniting hotspots. The fire was finally brought under control at 1:21 a.m. FDNY marine units joined the fight, putting water on the flames from Newtown Creek.

There were no reported injuries, according to the FDNY

Photos courtesy of FDNY

Like the first blaze at the Sims Metal facility on the night of August 30, 2024, noxious plumes of smoke filled the air, forcing residents in Blissville, Sunnyside, Long Island City, and Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to keep their windows and doors shut throughout the evening. The blaze that broke out five months earlier was on a barge on Newtown Creek that was tied to the bulkhead at Sims Metal. FDNY fire marshals later determined that that fire was sparked by lithium-ion batteries.

Fire marshals are investigating the cause of Wednesday night’s three-alarm fire.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Silvercup Studios partners with local schools to foster next-generation filmmakers in Queens

Long before it was one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in the nation, Long Island City was an industrial town along the polluted East River, where generations recall the only good smell emanated from the Gordon Baking Company producing the Silvercup brand of bread.

After it was shuttered in a bitter labor dispute in the mid-70s, nearby factory owner Harry Suna of Kew Gardens purchased the property at 42-25 21 St. in 1980, and his architect sons Stuart and Alan began drawing up the plans to repurpose the property into Silvercup Studios, which launched in 1983 and rapidly became one of New York City’s largest film and production facilities, with nearly a half million square feet of studio space and 19 sound stages.