Fire partially closes Rumpke’s main recycling plant in Greater Cincinnati

ST. BERNARD, Ohio (WXIX) - A “substantial” early morning fire has partially shut down Rumpke’s main recycling facility that serves hundreds of thousands of customers in Greater Cincinnati, the Dayton area and parts of Kentucky, a Rumpke spokeswoman says.

Flames broke out at about 3:30 a.m. at Rumpke Recycling on Vine Street in St. Bernard.

Two dozen night shift employees were working at the time and quickly evacuated, according to Rumpke spokeswoman Amanda Pratt

No one was hurt and the cause remains under investigation, she says.

“We have fires from time to time. This was one of the larger ones, I would say,” Pratt tells FOX19 NOW.

“Employees acted immediately and they were safely evacuated. We had a tremendous response from local responders. It was much appreciated.”

The building is now open to receive recyclable materials from Rumpke drivers. They are out right now on collection routes in the company’s 150 trucks.

It remains unclear when processing the materials inside the plant will continue, Pratt acknowledges.

Multiple crews from Hamilton County departments responded to the fire: St. Bernard, Elmwood Place, Reading, Wyoming, Lockland and Springfield Township, according to Hamilton County dispatchers.

St. Bernard fire officials, who are heading up the investigation, have not responded yet to requests for information.

Rumpke opened its Cincinnati Recycling Center in St. Bernard in 1991, according to its website.

The plant was upgraded and renovated at least twice before a 2012 fire destroyed the original building, according to Rumpke’s website

The following year, the company opened its current $32 million recycling facility and says it has the most advanced recycling technology available

FOX19 NOW will continue to update this breaking story as soon as we get more information.

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