Downtown Baltimore clouded by smoke from massive scrap metal fire at recycling center

BALTIMORE -- A massive plume of smoke spread across part of downtown Baltimore Wednesday after a pile of scrap metal caught fire at a recycling center.

The smoke from the two-alarm fire could be seen for miles, including from nearby Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

Residents surrounding Berg Recycling on West Hamburg Street were alerted to close their windows and doors.

"I smelled this charcoaly smell, like something burning smell, so I went upstairs to the bathroom to look out the window and that's when I saw big balls of black smoke," Baltimore resident Harriett Wadley said.

The fire department said crews found a large pile of scrap metal burning that may have penetrated an adjoining warehouse.

"That heavy smoke entering your homes, sometimes people with respiratory illnesses, that type of smoke can be just enough to exacerbate their asthma or emphysema," Baltimore Fire spokesperson Kevin Cartwright said.

Nearly 100 firefighters covered the ground in and around the business working toward controlling the flames.  

The website for the recycling center says several different materials are accepted there, including wheel rims, appliances, lead acid batteries and rebar.

What exactly was on fire remains under investigation. 

"Hopefully they can get things under control and fix the problem so it won't happen again," Wadley said. 

The fire department says no one was hurt.