Heavy Smoke Seen Across North Texas As 5-Alarm Fire Burns At Foam Recycling Plant

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Heavy black smoke was visible as far east as Arlington from a massive fire at Advanced Foam Recycling's headquarters in Richland Hills on Thursday afternoon.

Two employees were treated for minor injuries and another employee self-transported to a hospital.

One-hundred-twenty-five firefighters from seven North Texas cities helped Fort Worth firefighters try to contain the blaze on the 2500 block of Handley Ederville Road. But as of 3:30 on the afternoon on Feb. 25, the fire had burned for more than three hours straight and the roof of the structure had collapsed.

One viewer sent CBS 11 News an email describing seeing "huge flames and huge billows of black smoke," from her home in White Lake Hills.

Chopper 11 flew over the scene near the TRE station, showing just how large the fire was.

At about 3 p.m., Haltom City emergency Management advised people who were downwind from the fire (southwest) to shelter in place but said there was no reason to evacuate.

Regional workers from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also responded to the fire and are conducting off-site air monitoring.

There's no word yet on what caused the fire but an employee told CBS 11 reporter Jason Allen that it started in the back of the building.

Drivers should avoid the area.

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