Did you smell that? Plastic burning smell in region due to scrapyard fire in Gaston County
Some people in the Charlotte region may have woken up to a plastic burning smell Tuesday morning.
It’s coming from a large scrap metal fire at Metal Recycling Services, a Gaston County press release said.
Firefighters responded to the fire at 3:27 p.m. Monday at 5401 York Highway, which is south of Gastonia. The fire was centered in a pile of crushed cars, the county’s press release said. Firefighters cleared the fire by 8:30 p.m.
“Firefighters with Crowders Mountain Volunteer Fire & Rescue are accustomed to responding to occasional fires caused by crushing vehicles at the scrapyard, though Monday’s windy conditions quickly accelerated the fire to a scale that required help from more than two dozen agencies from neighboring counties and communities,” the county’s press release said.
One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at the scene by Gaston County Emergency Medical Services.
The smell spread throughout the region, reaching places at least as far away as Huntersville, according to the town’s fire department.
Several residents called to report the smell to the department, Huntersville fire said in a post on X Tuesday.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 10:50 AM.
