Ann Arbor, MI, Firefighters Get Quick Knock on Recycling Plant Fire

ANN ARBOR, MI — Firefighters responded Wednesday morning to a fire at the Material Recovery Facility off Platt Road.

One worker inhaled smoke while attempting to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived and Huron Valley Ambulance took him to a hospital, the Ann Arbor Fire Department reported in a Facebook post.

Thanks to firefighters’ work, there was no damage to the affected system at the Material Recovery Facility at 4150 Platt Road, according to the fire department. The facility sorts and processes recyclables collected throughout the Ann Arbor area.

Firefighters arrived at approximately 8:29 a.m. to the fire in a conveyor belt system, making access challenging, according to the fire department.

“In working with facility staff, the conveyor was operated to carry the burning trash out of system for extinguishment,” the fire department reported.

Firefighters were on the scene for approximately two and a half hours.

The cause of the fire couldn’t be determined due to the amount of trash involved, the fire department reported.

There have been numerous fires at the facility, according to the fire department, but this has been the first in several years.

Emergency personnel from Pittsfield Township, Ann Arbor Township and Scio Township Fire Departments provided support.

The Material Recovery Facility and the Ann Arbor Fire Department didn’t immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment.

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