Overview
- A blaze broke out at EMR Recycling's Camden shredder in the early hours of Friday and grew to a two‑alarm fire before crews contained it, officials said, and no injuries were reported.
- Officials warned smoke from the fire could be visible in Philadelphia and urged residents to limit outdoor exposure and keep indoor air recirculated.
- Camden County and city leaders called for the facility to stop operations, and EMR said it would pause shredding to investigate and coordinate with authorities.
- The state and NJDEP have sued EMR over more than a dozen past fires, citing a four‑alarm February 2025 inferno that burned for hours, forced about 100 evacuations, and sent smoke miles away.
- EMR says it has added a new suppression system and signed a $6.7 million memorandum of understanding for fire suppression, but regulators are seeking court‑ordered fixes and the lawsuit could lead to mandated shutdowns or stricter oversight.