Firefighters douse pile of debris in North Toledo

Fire caused extensive damage OmniSource Corp. facility

Employees were evacuated Thursday afternoon after a fire broke out at the North Toledo OmniSource Corp. facility.

Toledo firefighters Thursday night continued to pour water on a smoldering outdoor pile of debris at a North Toledo metals recycler more than seven hours after a blaze was reported there.

By 10 p.m., work crews at OmniSource Corp., 5130 North Detroit Ave., were using a crane to pull apart the debris pile so firefighters could douse hot spots.

The fire was reported about 2:40 p.m., and employees were evacuated. Even an hour later, a column of thick black smoke could be seen for miles around.

One firefighter was taken to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center for heat-related issues, Toledo fire Lt. Dan Whitacre said. His condition was unknown Thursday night.

The cause of the fire had not been determined Thursday night.

The loss from a daylong fire at the facility in 2009 exceeded $2 million and caused extensive damage to conveyors and equipment that grind up junked vehicles.

OmniSource collects, processes, and resells a wide variety of scrap metal, according to its Web site. The North Toledo facility is a collection yard and a processor of ferrous and nonferrous metals.