The sounds of sirens from fire trucks screaming up Nicholson Road an hour before sunrise on Saturday morning, Sept. 6, startled Gloucester Heights residents as a huge plume of smoke wafted over the neighborhood.
Some neighbors peered out of their front doors awakened by all the noise and wondering what was happening.
Gloucester City firefighters immediately and professional responded two the two-alarm blaze at the Sgt. Scrap Metal Recycling Shop on Route 130 that shut down the busy highway in both directions.
Meanwhile, large trucks on early-morning runs tried to navigate the neighborhood side streets to find a way around the fiery scene.
Upon arrival about 5 a.m., firefighters arrived to see flames coming through the roof and worked hard and quickly to quell the flames.
Within an hour the fire was extinguished, but the scrap metal facility at 610 Crescent Road (Route 130) did not survive. As of presstime, the cause of the fire was still being investigated and no injuries were reported, Gloucester City fire officials stated.
Sgt. Scrap also has area locations in Pennsauken, Philadelphia and Glassboro, and accepts and pays for a wide range of non-ferrous metals.
This includes copper, brass, aluminum, and various grades of stainless steel, such as 304 and 316. The company also recycles steel (including light iron, cast iron, and rotors), aluminum radiators, copper and brass alloys, and aluminum and chrome wheels. People also bring in turning and insulated copper wire.
On the border of Gloucester City and Haddon Township, the business was always very busy with many pick-up trucks full of metal pulling in and delaying traffic on the right lane of Route 130 south near Nicholson Road.
Now, the building consists of just a few exterior walls left standing as the fire basically destroyed the entire facility. The future of the site is undetermined at this time. The Gloucester City Fire Department announced on Facebook later last Saturday morning that “all air quality reading are in an acceptable range. There will be air monitoring throughout the day and there are no hazards to anyone in the area.”
