By Scott Harvey
Greenville – Hunt County fire crews battled a scrap yard fired in Greenville for several hours Thursday afternoon as large plumes of black smoke were visible for miles.
The fire at the New Phoenix Metals plant along Industrial Drive reportedly burned dozens of salvaged vehicles and tires. No one was injured. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at around 1:45 p.m. Thursday.
The cause of the blaze was unclear as of Friday morning, but according to Hunt County Fire Marshall Richard Hill, it's possible the triple-digit heat could have played a factor.
"Any place that's buying old automobiles you've got to remember that there's going to be old accelerants in these old tractors, old cars, old trucks for crushing purposes and all that."
A Wednesday afternoon shutdown of Interstate 30 near Caddo Mills was due to the heat, according to Hill, when a chemical reaction built up in a truck carrying hazardous material.