A fire at Eastern Kentucky Recycling Center on Savoy Clear Creek Road in Williamsburg took much of the day for multiple fire departments to get it under control on Thursday afternoon and caused officials to warn area residents to stay indoors due to the toxic smoke.
The fire, which originated in a pile of scrap aluminum at the center in the 300 block of Savoy Clear Creek Road, was called into Whitley County dispatch around 11:45 a.m. Thursday.
Williamsburg, South Whitley, Goldbug, Woodbine, Patterson Creek, Oak Grove, Emlyn and Pleasant View fire departments all responded to the scene to help put out the fire not long after the initial call. Many were still on scene at 6 p.m. Thursday.
According to Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses, the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Moses said at 5:20 p.m. Thursday the fire was under control but the pile was being taken apart to make sure the fire was completely out and that there wasn't anything burning down in the bottom of it.