Fire At Port Newark Sends Smoke Billowing Into NYC: Officials

NEWARK, NJ — A scrap yard fire at the Port of Newark that burned overnight sent smoke billowing into the air, which could be smelled as far away as New York City on Tuesday morning.

The fire was “active” as of Tuesday morning, with about 40 firefighters still at the scene, authorities said. No injuries have been reported.

According to the Newark Department of Public Safety, 40 firefighters responded to 206 Calcutta Street around 7:50 p.m. on Monday after getting a call about a fire involving a pile of metal in a scrap yard at EMR Recycling.

Newark firefighters worked with the scrap yard’s heavy equipment operators to move and spread out the metal so that it could be extinguished.

“The Newark Fire Division will utilize Essex County’s Neptune System to pull water from a river,” a spokesperson said, noting that the system can pump 10,000 gallons of water per minute.

Public safety officials in New York City posted a message on social media about the fire on Tuesday morning. It read:

“Due to emergency personnel operating at a fire in Newark, New Jersey, residents in Manhattan and the Bronx may see or smell smoke.”

“Currently commuting home from lower Manhattan and I can still smell it by Citi Field,” one Twitter commenter wrote.

“I’m in the city and I definitely smelled smoke this morning,” another person commented. “I initially thought something in my apartment was burning.”

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued an alert about the fire at 9:31 a.m. on Tuesday:

“Due to an ongoing fire at Port Newark; Clipper Street remains closed in both directions. PAPD, Newark FD and Bayonne FD are on scene. Follow direction of PAPD.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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