Two-Alarm Blaze Hits Mass. Recycling Plant

MANSFIELD - A two-alarm fire struck a paper recycling plant in the industrial park late Tuesday night.

The blaze was reported before 11 p.m. at Miller Recycling, a large warehouse building at 73 Plymouth St. and near Forbes Boulevard.

Firefighters found heavy smoke upon arrival, and the fire was traced to a utility vehicle known as a Bobcat, a forklift-like vehicle.

Firefighters ran two firehose lines into the building and had the fire under control and knocked down by about 11 p.m. but struggled for some time to deal with smoke that filled the building

Several area fire departments, including North Attleboro, Plainville and Norton, responded. A Foxboro ladder truck was extended to the roof to help remove the smoke. Wrentham firefighters also responded with their Hovercraft, which has a large fan, to help ventilate the building.

Sharon firefighters also responded to the scene.

A Mansfield fire station is near the plant.

Miller Recycling was the scene of two other fires last year.

In September 2011, metal strapping around bales of cardboard was blamed for accidentally igniting a four-alarm fire at the plant. The metal strapping was heated from being dragged along the floor by workers moving the bales around, igniting a fire that spread to other cardboard bales, fire officials said.

Firefighters from about a dozen cities and towns were called to help fight the smoky blaze that took about four hours to extinguish. One firefighter was sent to a hospital with minor injuries. Damage was estimated over $100,000.

In January 2011, there was another stubborn fire in the back of a tractor-trailer that damaged the loading dock and also took hours for firefighters to fully put out.

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