Fire at Roadrunner Recycling, building may be saved

Metal, tires and debris caught fire at Roadrunner Recycling on July 30, but officials on the scene believe they were able to contain the fire quick enough to save the building.
Daily Record photo by Dalton Sweat

Due to the nature of what caught fire, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality was alerted as well.
Daily Record photo by Dalton Sweat

A fire at Roadrunner Recycling on Highway 123 spread black smoke across much of the eastern portion of Hays County on Tuesday morning, but crews believe the damage is contained to the items that caught fire without harm to any structures.

The York Creek Fire Department was called to Highway 123 and Beback Inn Road just beyond the San Marcos city limits at 8:45 a.m. on July 30.

“Units arrived to find heavy black smoke from behind a metal recycling plant,” Bryce Houlton, assistant fire marshal for Guadalupe County, said. “Units forced entry through the gates and found a large pile of burning metal, tires and debris on fire.”

Mutual aid was requested from the city of San Marcos, Guadalupe County Fire and Rescue, South Hays Fire, city of New Braunfels and San Marcos/ Hays County EMS.

“Crews were able to get a pretty quick knockdown and are working on containment,” Houlton said. “The building was not affected by the fire. The crews were able to save the building.”

Roadrunner Recycling’s website says that they buy junk cars and scrap metal. Houlton said that the appropriate authorities have been alerted about the fire.

“Run off is minimal right now and is being contained to the property. Smoke is pushing to the north mainly away from any kind of residential structures so we aren’t concerned about that. The state has been contacted about the fire. The Texas Railroad Commission and the TCEQ have been contacted. The property owner is working with the fire department to help extinguish the fire.”