The spectacular blaze at a closed Kearny landfill that could be seen for miles Wednesday night started when roughly 20 tarps that were to be used in the capping of the site caught fire.
The cause of the fire, which may have been a lightning strike, is still under investigation, said Kearny Fire Chief Steve Dyl.
Firefighters responded to the town-owned, 94-acre landfill at 9 p.m. and placed the fire under control by 10:12 p.m. The site is bounded to the east by the eastern and western spurs of the New Jersey Turnpike as they divide south of exit 15, to the north by the I-280 connector to the Turnpike, and to the south by NJ Transit and Amtrak rail lines that run along the Passaic River.
The fire could be seen from as far away as midtown Manhattan, people reported on social media sites.
Dyl said the landfill is being capped by a private company, with oversight by the state Department of Environmental Protection.