WESTPORT, Mass. — Environmental crews are in Westport, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning, testing air quality after a massive scrap yard fire sent smoke and embers across nearby neighborhoods.
According to the Westport Fire Department, crews were continuing to work to extinguish deep-seated pockets of fire at Mid-City Scrap on State Road.
Firefighters were first called to the facility around 3:30 p.m. on Monday for a reported scrap pile fire containing processed vehicles.
Officials said strong winds carried embers into surrounding wooded areas near Davis Road, sparking several brush fires and bringing flames dangerously close to nearby homes.
Because of the conditions, a shelter-in-place order was issued. Some residents were evacuated and placed in a hotel overnight as a precaution due to the massive smoke plume path.
At the height of the fire, Route 6 was fully shut down due to heavy smoke and flames in the area.
Officials said they hope to reopen Route 6 on Tuesday morning but are still urging drivers to avoid the area as crews continue their work.
A state hazmat team and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection crews will monitor air quality in the area throughout the day. As of 7 a.m., the Westport Fire Department said there were “no elevated readings.”
An investigation into the fire remains ongoing.
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