Firefighters faced icy and windy conditions while battling a four-alarm fire at a wastewater treatment plant on Wednesday morning.
The North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority facility at 7117 River Road is undergoing renovations and it appears workers at the site accidentally ignited the blaze with torches, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Montagne said.
Workers initially tried to extinguish the fire themselves but soon called the fire department, Montagne said. Because of hazardous materials inside the building, hazmat units from Jersey City and Bayonne were called to the scene out of precaution.
The fire, which started sometime around 9 a.m., was mostly under control by around noon.