SEGUIN, Texas – The huge scrap metal fire at the CMC Texas steel mill has been extinguished, according to fire officials.
Crews are expected to remain on the scene to monitor hot spots throughout the night Thursday and into Friday morning.
As of early evening, only light smoke was still visible but nothing like the dark ominous clouds throughout most of the day.
The company said, in a statement, "Precautionary advisories issued earlier in the day to nearby residents regarding smoke have been canceled."
Daniel Kinsey, emergency management coordinator for Guadalupe County, said it's expected the fire that began at 6:45 a.m. will be extinguished Thursday evening.
Kinsey said seven area fire departments were confronted with "a difficult-to-fight fire because of the depth of the scrap metal."
He said the pile was 30-40 feet deep and an acre wide.
Kinsey said it's believed somewhere among the vehicle bodies bound for the shredder was the source of the fire.
Determining the cause will begin once the fire is out and it is safe enough for investigators to conduct their work.
Kinsey said they also will try to find out if there were any hazardous materials in the pile.
He said before recycling the vehicles, the company removes the batteries and tires, and drains the fuel tanks.
In its statement, the company also said, "All employees are safe, no equipment was damaged and no mill operations or customer deliveries were impacted."
The company released this statement Thursday evening:
"CMC's top priority is to finish extinguishing the fire, which is contained and under control. Local fire authorities are estimating that approximately 1 acre of scrap material has been affected. The cause of today's fire has not yet been determined but a thorough investigation will be conducted once we have the fire extinguished. All employees are safe and no equipment was damaged and no mill operations or customer deliveries have been impacted.
"CMC is dedicated to processing metals in a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner. We have rigorous procedures for screening incoming material and for processing and we are committed to mitigating these types of incidents in the future.
"Founded in 1915, Commercial Metals Company and its subsidiaries recycle, manufacture and market steel and metal products and related materials throughout a network of locations around the world."