Firefighters Battle Blaze at National Plastics

Multiple crews fought fire through heavy black smoke for more than three hours before bringing it under control today at in Palmer Township.

Initial reports stated the fire at the plastics recycling company started in a dumpster at about 11am and jumped to the building at 11 McFadden Road. At times, the smoke billowed so high that it could be spotted for miles around the Lehigh Valley. 

National Plastics, according to its website, "is a post-industrial plastics recycling company."

There is no word of any injuries or if the material that burned was hazardous. Residents, however, did report a "plastic smell" in the air.

Early on, fire crews on the roof worked to create a ventilation hole and released the thick smoke from inside.

One firefighter radioed township Fire Commissioner Delmar A. Grube and advised that the roof was getting "pretty mushy" near the fire. Radio chatter also indicated that everyone had been removed from the building and that sprinklers were working inside.

Grube had replied that because the sprinklers were working, the fire would be contained quickly. The bigger hazard was working through the thick smoke.

However, Palmer Fire Department also reported that water levels were getting low and requested help from the Lehigh Valley International Airport Fire and Rescue water pumper truck.

Special driving instructions had to be relayed to the LVIA department because the fastest route, over Tatamy Bridge, isn't available. The bridge is closed for repairs. But the pumper truck did make it.

, a business directly downwind from National Plastics, was evacuated.

By 3pm,  front-end loaders were removing debris from the lot outside the building and preparations were being made to remove debris from the inside as well. Though there was still smoke at 3pm, reports indicated that the fire was pretty well contained.

It was a massive firefighting effort coordinated by Palmer with the help of fire companies from Bethlehem Township, Nazareth, Hecktown (Lower Nazareth), Upper Nazareth, Wilson and elsewhere.

The company's McFadden Road location is south of Danforth Drive, east of Route 33 and west of Tatamy Road.