Fires at recycling centers and scrap yards have become a recurring problem, fueled in many cases by lithium-ion batteries. The NBC10 Investigators found that no single agency is specifically responsible for preventing these fires, leaving much of the oversight and enforcement to local fire depar tments and counties after one has already burned. Sandra Wiles lives near EMR, a large scrap metal recycling facility on Camden’s Waterfront South. “I call it detrimental,” Wiles said. A suspected lithium-ion battery sparked this fire at Richard S. Burns Co. in Philadelphia. Wiles is one of the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against EMR, alleging she and other nearby residents have been “physically invaded” by soot, smoke and debris from the facility, documents said. The concerns stem from a series of fires at the Camden facility. According to the City of Camden, 13 fires have occurred at the facility since 2020. Video from several of those incidents shows thick smoke and flames rising from piles of scrap metal. Extended time living near a polluted environment will eventually cause problems to your health. What is that extended time? We do not know.Dr. Pascal Nwako, Camden County’s public health coordinator One fire on Feb. 21, 2025, burned for more than 12 hours, forcing nearby residents to evacuate and remain out of the area for weeks. City leaders and EMR later entered into a memorandum of understanding, which included a fire suppression system and $3.7 million in additional money “dedicated to improving the lives of residents through a charitable fund,” according to the city. In January, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against EMR, saying the repeat fires “filled nearby streets with smoke and air pollution, creating an ongoing public nuisance that has severely harmed the health and well-being of Camden’s residents.” EMR filed a motion to dismiss this summer, saying in part that the state lacks oversight. A judge was scheduled to hear arguments in September. Last March, another fire broke out on an EMR-operated barge carrying scrap metal in the Delaware Bay near Reedy Island in New Castle County, Delaware. EMR said the latest fire at the Camden facility on May 29 was caused by lithium-ion batteries, the rechargeable power cells found in smartphones, laptops, e-bikes and countless other electronic devices. A fire burns at EMR’s Camden facility on May 29, 2026. In July, a fire at an EMR facility in Darby Township prompted officials to tell residents to avoid the area and keep their windows and doors shut. Wiles said residents deserve better. “I understand that this is not such a great neighborhood, and it doesn’t bring in a lot of money, and a lot of people are on assistance, but we deserve to live better too,” she said. Ryan Fogelman is vice president of fire protection at Fire Rover, a company that sells fire-detection and suppression systems to industries including scrap yards. “We accidentally create bombs in our trash as a public,” Fogelman said about lithium-ion batteries ending up in the waste stream. “The waste and recycling operators are the victims here. They’re the ones who are having these batteries and accelerants thrown on their front lines.” Ryan Fogelman of Firerover.com appears to be one of the few people tracking fires with publicly available data. The fire in this image burned at Richard S. Burns Co., a recycling facility in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighborhood. Fogelman appears to be one of the few people tracking fires with publicly available data. His June 2026 industry report found fire risks remain high at waste and recycling facilities nationwide. Scrap metal yards saw a growing share of incidents, with lithium-ion batteries increasingly blamed for ignitions. Fogelman’s data shows the number of fires at recycling plants and scrap yards has grown sharply since 2020, with the industry accepting a “new normal” of dozens of publicly reported fires each month. “Nobody knows how to get control of it, and no one has complete control of it,” Fogelman said. Health officials warn of pollution risks Dr. Pascal Nwako, Camden County’s public health coordinator, said large fires can release dangerous pollutants into the air, including carbon monoxide and particulate matter. “It’s a huge effect on public health,” Nwako said. Dr. Pascal Nwako, Camden County’s public health coordinator, said large fires can release dangerous pollutants into the air, including carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Particulate matter consists of tiny airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and contribute to respiratory problems. It also contributed to public health alerts after wildfire smoke settled into the area in July. “Extended time living near a polluted environment will eventually cause problems to your health,” Nwako said. “What is that extended time? We do not know.” Following the latest fire, EMR said it implemented enhanced screening procedures and 24-hour fire monitoring. The company did not respond to NBC10’s requests for access to the facility. Batteries are a growing challenge Allen Burns, president of Richard S. Burns Co., a recycling facility in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighborhood, knows the risk firsthand. “I got a phone call from my neighbor saying, ‘Hey, your place is on fire,'” Burns recalled. The facility experienced two fires within weeks of one another this summer. Fire officials told NBC10 Investigators they suspect lithium-ion batteries were responsible. Security video provided by Burns appears to show a battery igniting material in a scrap pile before flames rapidly spread. He said the fires caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and that he was thankful no one was hurt. This security video appears to show a battery igniting material in a scrap pile before flames rapidly spread at Richard S. Burns Co., a recycling facility in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighborhood. “People are going to start to get hurt,” Burns said. “Right now, it’s just property damage, and people are getting lucky, but people could get hurt over this.” Burns routinely shows employees how to identify and remove batteries from incoming material, but says the volume of improperly discarded batteries continues to grow. Throwing away lithium-ion batteries is not illegal in Pennsylvania, and Burns argues recyclers are often left managing a problem that starts elsewhere. “It’s the situation. It’s not really the individuals that are processing,” Burns said. “All of us are doing everything that we can to run a safe facility.” Who is responsible? The NBC10 Investigators asked local, state and federal agencies who is tracking lithium-ion battery fires and what is happening to stop them. The Environmental Protection Agency said it tracks battery-related fires through news reports and is working on an update to a five-year-old report focused on keeping batteries out of the waste stream. States regulate recycling facilities and scrap yards for certain environmental issues. However, the NBC10 Investigators found no single agency is specifically tasked with preventing lithium-ion battery fires at recycling centers and scrap yards. Part of EMR’s Camden facility as seen from an NBC10 drone. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it does not track lithium-ion battery fires and noted Pennsylvania has no law requiring household battery collection, though officials said batteries should not be disposed of in regular trash. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said it does not have regulatory authority over fires and that its oversight is currently limited to certain permits, including air and stormwater permits. Instead, responsibility is spread among facility operators, local governments, state regulators and fire departments. In many cases, enforcement actions occur only after a fire has already happened. After a large fire at EMR last winter, Camden billed the company $20,000 for damage allegedly caused to city firefighting equipment. People are going to start to get hurt. Right now, it’s just property damage, and people are getting lucky, but people could get hurt over this.Allen Burns, president of Richard S. Burns Co. In June, Camden’s Department of Code Enforcement issued a suspension order to EMR, citing “public nuisance conditions,” according to a city spokesperson. The order halted EMR’s scrapyard and shredding operations. EMR challenged the suspension in court, and a judge later allowed the facility to reopen with conditions. For neighbors such as Wiles, the question remains whether the cycle will continue. “I’m very tired of living like that,” she said. “I’m really tired.” New laws aim to address battery fire risk New Jersey lawmakers have taken steps to address the growing problem. A new state law sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Bill Moen, whose district includes Camden, requires scrap yards and metal recycling facilities to install enhanced firefighting technology and monitor for fire threats. Lawmakers have also proposed giving the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection additional authority to regulate scrap yards and take action after fires. In Pennsylvania, efforts to keep lithium-ion batteries out of the waste stream have largely stalled. The latest proposal remains in a state Senate committee, leaving regulators, businesses and residents searching for solutions as battery-related fires continue to rise. EMR did not respond to requests for comment regarding the ongoing litigation. The NBC10 Investigators can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected]. ...read more read less