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Fire crews battle blaze at Montgomery Co. recycling plant

Abigail Constantino | aconstantino@wtop.com
Sarah Gibson | sgibson@wtop.com

June 17, 2018, 5:00 AM

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Crews used nearly 1 million gallons of water to contain the fire at Georgetown Paperstock Recycling Plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Crews used nearly 1 million gallons of water to contain the fire at Georgetown Paperstock Recycling Plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Crews from every fire station in Montgomery County responded to the fire and firefighters worked overnight to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Crews from every fire station in Montgomery County responded to the fire and firefighters worked overnight to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Pete Piringer said a dozen so firefighters are still on the scene on Saturday morning working to completely put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Pete Piringer said a dozen so firefighters are still on the scene on Saturday morning working to completely put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
An overhead look at the fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
An overhead look at the fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
As of Saturday morning, crews were still on the scene working to completely put out the fire with others ready to assist if needed. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
As of Saturday morning, crews were still on the scene working to completely put out the fire with others ready to assist if needed. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
More than 100 firefighters from every fire station in Montgomery County worked to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
More than 100 firefighters from every fire station in Montgomery County worked to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
No one was injured in the fire but it caused more than $100,000 worth of damage. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
No one was injured in the fire but it caused more than $100,000 worth of damage. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
Courtesy Pete Piringer
Southlawn Lane is closed between E Gude Drive and Southlawn Court, coming from the direction of Avery Road because of the fire department activity. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Southlawn Lane is closed between E Gude Drive and Southlawn Court, coming from the direction of Avery Road because of the fire department activity. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Crews from every fire station were involved in trying to put out the fire overnight. It was still burning as of Saturday morning but crews expect to have it completely extinguished at some point during the day. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Around 3:30 p.m. on June 15, the Georgetown Paper Stock recycling plant in Rockville, Md. caught on fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, the Georgetown Paper Stock recycling plant in Rockville, Maryland, caught on fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Spokesperson Pete Piringer said when Montgomery County Fire & Rescue responded to the fire at the plant, they found two large piles of compacted cardboard ablaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Spokesman Pete Piringer said when Montgomery County Fire & Rescue responded to the fire at the plant, they found two large piles of compacted cardboard ablaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Roads are closed in the area while firefighters put out the blaze, so evening commutes may be affected near East Gude Drive and Southlawn Lane, the location of the plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Roads were closed in the area while firefighters put out the blaze, affecting the evening commute near East Gude Drive and Southlawn Lane, the location of the plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter
Fire crews remain on the scene into the night on Friday, June 15, 2018, to combat a blaze at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Fire crews remain on the scene into the night on Friday, June 15, 2018, to combat a blaze at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Montgomery County firefighters continue to put out a fire that broke out at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters continue to put out a fire that broke out at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
(1/20)
Crews used nearly 1 million gallons of water to contain the fire at Georgetown Paperstock Recycling Plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Crews from every fire station in Montgomery County responded to the fire and firefighters worked overnight to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Pete Piringer said a dozen so firefighters are still on the scene on Saturday morning working to completely put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
An overhead look at the fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
As of Saturday morning, crews were still on the scene working to completely put out the fire with others ready to assist if needed. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
More than 100 firefighters from every fire station in Montgomery County worked to put out the blaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
No one was injured in the fire but it caused more than $100,000 worth of damage. (Courtesy Pete Piringer)
Southlawn Lane is closed between E Gude Drive and Southlawn Court, coming from the direction of Avery Road because of the fire department activity. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Around 3:30 p.m. on June 15, the Georgetown Paper Stock recycling plant in Rockville, Md. caught on fire. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Spokesperson Pete Piringer said when Montgomery County Fire & Rescue responded to the fire at the plant, they found two large piles of compacted cardboard ablaze. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Roads are closed in the area while firefighters put out the blaze, so evening commutes may be affected near East Gude Drive and Southlawn Lane, the location of the plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)
Fire crews remain on the scene into the night on Friday, June 15, 2018, to combat a blaze at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters douse a fire that broke out at a Rockville recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Montgomery County firefighters continue to put out a fire that broke out at a Rockville, Maryland, recycling plant on Friday, June 15, 2018. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
Crews used nearly 1 million gallons of water to contain the fire at Georgetown Paperstock Recycling Plant. (Courtesy Pete Piringer via Twitter)

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of firefighters from every from every fire station in Montgomery County battled a fire overnight and into Saturday afternoon at a recycling plant in Rockville, Maryland.

While the fire was contained on Friday, it wasn’t put out until Saturday evening.

Pete Piringer, a spokesman for Montgomery County fire department, said crews cleared the scenes shortly before 1:30 p.m. Saturday and roads that were blocked subsequently reopened

The Georgetown Paper Stock recycling plant in Rockville, Maryland, caught fire Friday afternoon.

Piringer said Montgomery County firefighters got the call around 3:30 p.m. on Friday. At around 6:30 p.m., he said the fire has been “contained but far from being out.”

Crews found piles of cardboard, cloth and other materials for recycling on fire. The materials continued to burn, necessitating more fire equipment to be brought in.

Piringer said the two-alarm fire was very labor-intensive. Fire crews remained on the scene through the night.

Some 125 firefighters were on hand to battle the blaze. There is no report of injuries.

Piringer said the managers of the plant told him that there is about $100,000 of damage.

The fire closed roads in the area of East Gude Drive and Southlawn Lane, affecting the evening commute

Below is the area where the fire happened.

WTOP’s Keara Dowd contributed to this report.

Abigail Constantino

Abigail Constantino started her journalism career writing for a local newspaper in Fairfax County, Virginia. She is a graduate of American University and The George Washington University.

aconstantino@wtop.com

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