Massive Scrapyard Fire Raises Air Quality Concerns In Delco, Philly

SHARON HILL, PA — A massive fire pushed heavy smoke into the air Wednesday in Delaware County. It came from a scrap metal recycling plant owned by a global corporation that recently had its license suspended at a different Philly-area facility that has suffered frequent fires.

The 3-alarm fire broke out around 10 a.m. at EMR Metal Recycling's scrap yard in Sharon Hill, near Southwest Philadelphia. A thick plume of smoke could be seen for miles as emergency crews from throughout the region responded.

Just before 2 p.m., the Darby Township Fire Marshal's Office announced that the fire was under control. As of this writing, smoke continues to linger as hot spots are extinguished.

No injuries have been reported.

Air quality testing is ongoing in nearby communities, including Southwest Philly. Residents should stay inside with windows and doors closed if they see smoke — especially children, elderly people, pregnant individuals and people with respiratory conditions — emergency officials said.

All others should avoid the area.

"Inspectors have been dispatched to the area to collect air samples to assess air quality and the potential for any threat," the Philadelphia Health Department said Wednesday afternoon. "At this time, no specific hazardous substances have been identified, and we are taking this action out of an abundance of caution."

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, European Metal Recycling (EMR) is one of the world's largest scrap metal collectors.

EMR's recycling facility in Camden, New Jersey, has had 13 fires since 2020, receiving scrutiny from local residents and activists calling for the scrapyard to be shut down. A judge recently overturned Camden City Council's decision to pause operations there.

The Sharon Hill facility on Industrial Drive takes in discarded metal, which is sorted by its metal type for processing off-site.

Wednesday's fire seems to have started at the top of a pile of inbound materials exposed to the extreme heat affecting the Philly region, an EMR spokesperson said.

"The precise cause of the fire is presently under investigation," the spokesperson said in a statement. "EMR will review the incident to determine whether materials prohibited at EMR facilities, such as lithium-ion batteries, were contained in affected inbound loads and shall take appropriate actions to promote the safety of the recycled material stream."