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Crews working to determine what caused fire at North Andover recycling plant

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Firefighters are battling a 4-alarm fire at a construction waste recycling plant in North Andover.

Firefighters were called around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to TBI, Inc., a recycling facility at 210 Holt Road in North Andover. Initially, firefighters didn't know where the source of the fire was at first, as a huge plume of smoke blanketed the area.

The fire burned into the night as firefighters dealt with limited water supply due to a dead-end area of town and the combustible materials inside the facility.

"It would be like construction material, wood, anything you would have if you took the deck off your house. Those kinds of material, chunk woods, you have large piles and materials building up," said North Andover Fire Lt. Michael Beirne.

Firefighters remained at the scene into Wednesday evening. Excavators moved piles of debris so firefighters could get the lingering flames and tamp out hot spots. The smoke and debris slowed the investigation and battle against the fire.

Officials do not yet know what started the fire. The Department of Environmental Protection has been notified and air quality monitoring tests will be conducted.

"Both last night and today, the DEP and the EPA, they did do air quality testing. And they tested this location and they tested some of the neighborhoods in North Andover as well as Haverhill and Methuen where the smoke might have been traveling, but everything came back negative," North Andover Fire Chief Bill McCarthy said.

No evacuations were ordered as the facility is in an area that is not very populated, but firefighters say anyone who lives nearby should keep their windows closed and stay inside.

There have been no injuries reported.

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