Mexia oil recycling plant goes up in flames

Mexia fire officials are monitoring an fire that began early Thursday at a plant just outside of the city limits that processes used oil and oil filters.

The fire was reported around 1:30 a.m. at Total Recycling Technologies plant, according to Michael Clements, the EMS director and training officer for the Mexia Fire Department.

The fire department responded on scene and found a blazing fire 40 feet deep into a metal building. The department was able to access the fire through an open door on one end of the building and began spraying water and foam on the flame.

Groesbeck, Teague, Tehuacana, and Wortham volunteer fire departments also were called in to assist in containing the blaze. The departments each brought water tanks because there is no fire hydrant near the recycling company.

“The amount of fuel and product in that building and the heat of the fire was so intense that had we been able to put five or six water lines on it, it still wouldn’t be able to put it out — the fire is putting out more heat than the water would absorb,” Clements said. “Plus, we could only get to one side of the building, so we couldn’t put it out all the way anyway.”

Fire officials decided to let the fire burn out on its own. Only the Mexia Fire Department remains on scene to babysit the flame, Clements said.

“If we continue to put water on it, all those hazardous materials would wash into the soil, and the cleanup would be huge,” Clements said.

Clements said no one was injured in the fire. The nearest homes are about a quarter-mile away from the company, but Clements said the fire department will monitor wind conditions in case smoke is driven towards those residents, which would prompt and evacuation.

State fire marshals are on scene to investigate the cause of the fire. The owner of the company has called a private hazardous material cleanup company to collect the waste from the fire, Clements said.
By Regina Dennis, The Waco Tribune-Herald
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The blaze at Total Recycling Technologies, just south of Mexia, is still burning hours after firefighters were first called to the scene. Firefighters were first called to the scene around 1:30 a.m. with reports that there was an explosion at the Mexia oil recycler. The blaze at a Mexia oil recycling facility is still burning hours after firefighters were first called to the scene. Crews plan to let the fire burn itself out.

Authorities at the scene say evacuations may become necessary if there is a change in the weather.
By Patrick Tolbert, KXXV News, Waco