A large fire at a scrap metal junkyard in Camden, New Jersey, is sending black smoke into the air.
According to a spokesperson with the city of Camden, the fire is happening on the 1400 block of South Front Street at the Waterfront.
ALERT – Fire
— City of Camden Gov (@CityofCamdenGov) February 21, 2025
There is an active fire at 1400 South Front Street in Camden. The City of Camden Fire Department is on site. Please avoid this area. pic.twitter.com/x8jWPm1acN
The fire is believed to have started just before 5:30 p.m. with deconstructed cars at EMR in South Camden, according to a spokesperson with the county.
The city of Camden Fire Department is on scene responding to the fire, officials said.
"It's nerve wracking," David, who works at Adventure Aquarium, told NBC10. "That smoke is thick and it's traveling."
SkyForce10 was over the fire around 5:30 p.m. where large black smoke clouds could be seen coming from what looked like a building in the junkyard.
"It's a lot of older infrastructure, things that get left, let go and then fires happen," David said of the community near where the fire started.
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce that the smoke from the fire is visible from the city.
Smoke from this recycling yard facility fire south of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden is visible from Philadelphia. https://t.co/OuB9ZZInwr
— Philadelphia OEM (@PhilaOEM) February 21, 2025
The Camden County Police Department announced that the corner of 2nd Street and Atlantic Avenue is closed to traffic.
Agencies are currently monitoring air quality.
Residents who live near EMR are being asked to stay inside and turn off any HVAC systems that draw air from outside until the fire is completely extinguished.
Neighbors are being urged to avoid the area. No injuries have been reported yet.
Resources for residents
EMR is offering free stays at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1 Penn Street in Camden for any residents of South Camden.
To redeem your free stay at the hotel, you need to show a valid ID that has a South Camden address.
The City of Camden also announced that it is prepared to open community centers as shelter for residents impacted by the fire.
If you are a resident of South Camden, you can call Stacy Pierce of EMR at 856-408-9735 with any questions.
