Nicos Polymers destroyed by fire, smoke blankets region - UPDATE

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

A massive fire completely destroyed a plastics recycling company in Plainfield Township this morning, creating a plume of smoke that blanketed a large swath of Northampton County.

The smoke continues to billow out of the charred wreckage at Nicos Polymers at 730 Bangor Road (Route 191), with flames intermittently piercing the black cloud, which blotted out the sun at times.

The fire started shortly before 5 o'clock this morning. About 11:30. the fire was 50 percent contained, said Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Mateff. He said heavy equipment, like bulldozers and backhoes, was aiding in efforts to extinguish the blaze.

The heavy smoke prompted one reader in Williams Township who saw a thick, black plume hovering about 5:30 to call the paper to see what was on fire.

"It looked like a tornado coming to Easton, then I realized the speed wasn't fast enough," she said.

Plainfield Township Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Greg Dawe said more than 200 firefighters from 50 companies were called to assist. Water is in limited supply because it is being tanked into the area.

Nicos Polymers Blaze: Responders battle fire Nicos Polymers Blaze: Responders battle fire A massive fire completely destroyed Nicos Polymers plastics recycling company in Plainfield Township this morning, creating a plume of smoke that blanketed a large swath of Northampton County. Watch video

In addition to Northampton units, Mateff said tanker trucks were brought in from Warren, Bucks, Monroe, Lehigh and Carbon counties. He said crews were dousing flames with about 8,000 gallons per minute.

"The public water system can't support our water flow, so we're bringing in tankers," Dawe said.

Mateff said tankers have been filling at public water outlets, streams and ponds. He said they are working with local water companies to ensure the effort doesn't strain the water system.

Jamie Legenos, an information specialist with the DEP, said a water quality specialist is also there to prevent runoff from fighting the fire. No abnormal air or water quality issues have been detected. But Northampton County officials urge people with respiratory difficulties to remain indoors.

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Mateff said there is no cause for alarm because the plume of smoke is rising into the atmosphere, so it's not creating a hazard for people in the immediate area. But they are ready if action must be taken.

"It's going to be a long day," he said. "This is a rather large fire."

Northampton County officials set up a temporary shelter as a precautionary measure at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 1422 Church Road, in the township, but Mateff said no one was using it.

Mateff would not comment on how the fire started.

Residents should expect transportation delays in the area, and anyone who does not live near the fire should avoid travel in and out of the area until it is extinguished, county officials say.

Jim Knicos, who owns the building, watched as firefighters worked this morning. He estimates about two dozen workers were inside when the fire started, but there were no injuries reported. Knicos said the employees saw fire, tried to fight it with extinguishers and the sprinkler system went off shortly after.

"It's a total loss," Knicos said. "It's a nightmare."

In addition to plastics products, Knicos said there is a large number of boxes and wooden pallets inside. Knicos said he has insurance on the building, and the tenants are required to have insurance as well.
Nicos Polymers destroyed by fire Nicos Polymers destroyed by fire A massive fire completely destroyed Nicos Polymers plastics recycling company in Plainfield Township this morning, creating a plume of smoke that blanketed a large swath of Northampton County. Watch video

About 10 o'clock this morning, Mateff said heavy equipment was being brought in to tear down the building. But he said the plastics inside are tightly packaged and need to be opened and spread out to be fully extinguished.

"It's like a hay fire," he said.

Jim Brehove, who owns Palmer Plastics in Palmer Township, said he often shared business with Nicos Polymers. He said the building contained millions of dollars worth of plastics.

Knicos, who used to own the company, said he dropped the "K" from the name so the business was easier for people to find in the phone book. He sold the company four years ago, and the company that bought it went bankrupt, and the bank seized it.

Coll Materials, an Ohio recycling company that announced last week the opening of a new plant in South Whitehall Township, is in the process of purchasing Nicos Polymers. The Bangor Road facility will be consolidated into the Lehigh County location, with 70 jobs transferring.

Marketing Director Renee Coll, who owns Coll Materials along with her husband, Brian, said they are still moving forward with purchasing the company. She said there is insurance to cover the loss of materials and equipment that they had planned to move to the new facility.

"We're just really grateful nobody was hurt," she said this morning.

Coll said the company is already shifting some production to its plants in Ohio and Texas so customers do not experience a hitch because of the fire. Some work is already being done at the South Whitehall Township facility, and she said they are hopeful that plant will be fully operational within the next few weeks.

Coll said Coll Materials takes post-consumer plastics from waste management or industrial facilities. The company turns them into raw materials that are shipped to customers, who then use them to create new products.

Last month, a fire at National Plastics & Manufacturing Co. in Palmer Township took hundreds of firefighters six hours to extinguish.

Web Editor Bevin Theodore contributed to this report.

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