Fire crews from across Southeast Iowa responded Wednesday afternoon to a large warehouse fire at Alter Metal Recycling – Burlington.
The Burlington Fire Department says crews were dispatched just before noon on May 6th for a fully involved fire at the nearly 20,000 square foot recycling warehouse on West Burlington Avenue.
Firefighters arrived within 7 minutes and found heavy flames and smoke coming from the single-story commercial structure. The building was occupied at the time, but all occupants were able to escape safely. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
Due to concerns about structural instability, crews transitioned to defensive firefighting operations while working to contain the blaze. The fire was brought under control around 1:30 p.m.
Damage estimates are still being assessed. Following an investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire was determined to be accidental in nature.
A total of 29 fire personnel responded to the incident. Assisting agencies included the West Burlington Fire Department, Burlington Police Department, West Burlington Police Department, Mediapolis Fire Department, Danville Fire Department, Des Moines County Emergency Management, Henry County Emergency Management, Alliant Energy and Gas, Burlington Waterworks, the Iowa DNR, DESCOM, and UNIVAR.
Additional updates will be released by the Fire Marshal’s Office if more information becomes available.