Houston firefighters battle blaze at recycling center, cause still under investigation

Members of the Houston Fire Department rescue team and Center Point Energy workers check a manhole cover on the street in front of a scaffolding collapse at a building under construction in Houston, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

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Firefighters reportedly battled a blaze at a northeast Houston recycling center in the early hours of Monday morning.

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Witnesses said they called in the fire at the recycling center on the 5700 block of Oates Road around midnight.

According to officials, the high volume of recyclable materials, including paper and plastic, fed the blaze for several hours until firefighters could get the blaze until control around 7:00 a.m., still reportedly checking for potential hotspots.

RELATED: Environmental Activist: Houston’s New Recycling Deal Good for the City

Witnesses reported seeing the blaze reach high into the night sky as firefighter arrived.

Numerous piles of material meant to be recycled burned through the night instead.

The extent of the blaze reportedly caused firefighters to go into “defensive mode,” meaning they could only fight the flames from outside the building.

As featured in the footage from social media, ladder trucks also helped with the efforts, enabling firefighters to douse the flames from atop the building.

RELATED: Fire Started at Recycling Plant When Workers Didn’t Use Enough Water

The damage to the Republic Services facility ultimately ended up being extensive, including a collapsed roof and buckled interior walls, fire officials said.

Arson investigators with the Houston Fire Department are reportedly looking into the cause of the blaze.

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