Grand Rapids recycling center fire blamed on lightning

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A large fire that burned for hours Monday, causing severe damage to a recycling facility in Grand Rapids, was caused by a lightning strike, firefighters say.

No one was hurt in the fire at the Padnos Front Street facility.

Grand Rapids Fire Department crews were sent to the recycling center 601 Letellier SW near Front Avenue SW around 3 a.m.

“One of our employees arrived to work early today, saw the smoke, and immediately called 911,” a Padnos manager said in a statement released by the fire department.

The fire sparked as a thunderstorm rumbled through Grand Rapids. A man who lives near the recycling center, Joe Winterkorn, told News 8 that it was preceded by a flash of lightning and a loud boom. GRFD said a neighbor also told an investigator that he was on his front porch and saw lightning strike the recycling center. It said surveillance video backs that up, showing lightning near where the fire sparked, shortly after which smoke could be seen around the roof.

When firefighters arrived, they found a “large amount of fire” inside the building, city of GRFD Chief Brad Brown said. Some 60 first responders were called to the scene, with firefighters using water guns to control the fire and smoke. They had to contend with metal shavings and oils in the building.

“At any point that we respond to a structure fire with a building of this size, we do try make an interior attack. And the fire was advanced enough that it drove our fire suppression crews out and we went defensive at that time,” GRFD Fire Marshal Bill Smith said.

Smith said the quick 911 call from a Padnos worker and a firewall prevented the fire from becoming even worse.

“There was a firewall that was able to contain the fire to one side of that area so it was compartmentalized and was able to keep the rest of the fire off of the oils that were stored in that area,” Smith explained.

Padnos workers also helped operate an excavator with a magnet to break down walls and keep the fire away from a repair shop reportedly containing flammable materials, a neighboring business told News 8.

As of 11 a.m., the fire was contained, but crews were expected to be at Padnos most of the day dousing hot spots.

Randy Finch owns Ice Guru next to the recycling center.

“It kept looking like it can’t be us, it can’t be us, and then as I got closer, I was concerned. We don’t have as many flammable things, we’re mainly ice, but it didn’t dawn on me that it would be Padnos,” Finch said. “I can’t imagine, looking at the devastation this morning, how bad the flames had to be at some point and thank God for the firefighters protecting everything around it.”

Wealthy Street SW and Front Avenue SW were shut down, as was part of Emperor Street, while emergency responders were on scene. Drivers were advised to avoid the area.

There have been several fires over the years at various Padnos facilities in West Michigan, including one in June at its Burton Recycling Center in Grand Rapids.

“We do know that those things will happen. We just want to make sure that everybody is safe on the scene. We have no injuries here with staff and no injuries with firefighters,” Smith said.

According to JustAir , the area has an Air Quality Index of 73 as of 11 a.m. The recent data shows an increase since the fire began at 3 a.m. It began to plateau around 6:15 a.m.

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