Fire breaks out at garbage transfer station in New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A fire broke out at a garbage transfer station in New Bedford Tuesday afternoon.

The fire happened at about 3:30 p.m. at the facility on Shawmut Avenue, which is operated by Waste Connections, according to a city spokesman.

One building and several trash fires caught fire, said the spokesman.

Fire Chief Scott Kruger said they were able to knock down the the two-alarm fire by 5 p.m., but will remain on scene for several hours to put out hot spots, remove debris, and monitor structural condition of the building.

The chief said one firefighter was treated to minor burns on his hand and arm. No other injuries were reported.

He said there was damage to several pieces of heavy machinery and the garage door to the building collapsed.

Kruger noted there was a lot group A plastic and that is not optimal for fire conditions.

“In a fire protection role it’s probably the worse thing you can have on fire,” he said.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the state fire marshal’s office.