Date: February 26, 2019
Location: Elmwood Park, New Jersey (USA)
Address: 35 Market Street, 07407
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Unknown
Industry: Paper Products (Pulp and Paper)
Equipment: Unknown
Company: Marcal Paper Mills
Database Incidents: IID357 and IID381
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Marcal Paper Mills, LLC is owned by Soundview Paper Company, which was established in 1932. For over five decades, Marcal has been making its paper products from recycled paper to reduce landfill. It is located in Elmwood Park, New Jersey and produces bath tissue, napkins, and paper towels.
Incident Description:
On February 26, 2019, NBC New York reported a fire at a paper mill in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
The same location was devasted on January 30 by an eight-alarm fire that destroyed much of the campus and left hundreds of people without work. This incident started at around 11:00 a.m. in a building that dries paper pulp before it’s made into paper. Authorities believed the fire was electrical in nature and not related to the January 30 fire.
No injuries were reported.
Previous Incidents:
On January 31, 2019, ABC7 NY reported a seven-alarm fire at a Marcal Paper Mills. It took firefighters over 12 hours to put out that fire, which destroyed 30 of the 36 buildings on the campus and sent smoke billowing into the air that could be seen for miles. As a precaution, residents living near the plant were evacuated and the ramp on I-80 to Exit 61 was closed in both directions, which resulted in schools closing on January 31.
Three weeks earlier, on January 10, 2019, the Daily Voice reported a two-alarm fire at the paper mill. It took firefighters from six boroughs approximately 90 minutes to put out the fire, which was on the roof. The alleged cause was a crane running over an extension cord, igniting a fire in a paper dust bowl.
On February 20, 2017, NorthJersey.com reported a fire at Marcal Paper Mills. Over 100 firefighters from 20 towns helped fight the fire, which began just after 4:30 p.m. and was under control before 7:00 p.m.
On May 29, 2012, Firehouse reported a five-alarm fire at Marcal paper plant. Officials said that the fire ignited in paper dust that collected in a six-inch space between an older wooden roof and the outer roof of corrugated fiberglass and tar. It burned for six hours before firefighters brought it under control. The news source noted that the plant’s own fire brigade extinguished a fire the previous March, which ignited in one of the paper machines.
OSHA Inspections
Sources:
NBC New York
ABC7 NY (February 1)
ABC7 NY (January 31)
Daily Voice
NorthJersey.comFirehouse
