2024 Is The Worst Year Yet for Waste and Recycling Facility Fires

As we near the end of 2024, it is important to address the notable number of fire incidents the waste and recycling industry has experienced so far this year. In fact, we are on track for 2024 to be the highest year ever for industry fire incidents.

In this month’s article, I highlight the latest fire data and further explain some of Fire Rover’s ambitious efforts to reduce fires at scrap metal (recycled material) operations.

October 2024 Fire Data

In October, the waste and recycling industry experienced 37 fires. Of these, 20 occurred in waste, paper and plastic operations, 10 in metals recovery operations, four in organics facilities, two in electronics recycling facilities and one in a rubber operation. Eight of these events were considered catastrophic, based on the National Waste & Recycling Association and Resource Recycling Systems’ definition from a report earlier this year, which considers losses of $400,000 or more as catastrophic. At Fire Rover, we are suppressing a fire at one of our clients’ 750-plus operations at the rate of one per day. 

Typically, we see a slowdown in elevated fire incidents in the fall and winter following the “summertime spike,” which is caused by heightened heat and dryness during the warmer months. However, to date, we have seen elevated fire activity for the majority of the second half of the year. This is a notable change from years prior and a trend we certainly don’t want to continue in the months and years to come.

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As I have stated numerous times before, the most concerning aspect of this increase in fires is it only represents a portion of the overall industry. Based on the Environmental Research & Education Foundation’s 2013 estimate of about 10,000 materials recovery facilities, transfer stations and scrap metal facilities, Fire Rover currently protects more than 7% of the waste and recycling industry. That number continues to grow, and while we typically safeguard our clients' highest-volume, most revenue-generating assets, industry fire incidents continue to rise.

It is unclear whether this year’s consistent increase in fire incidents is just a one-time occurrence but we have been experiencing an increasing pattern of more fires. However, if the remaining two months of this year meet or exceed historical averages, 2024 will indeed be our worst year on record for reported facility fires in the U.S. and Canada. 

To date, 2024’s numbers already are caught up to last year’s numbers and are exceeding most averages. For example, waste, paper and plastics is up along with scrap metal incidents; construction and demolition and plastics incidents seem to be on a downward trend; and rubber and electronic scrap are currently in line with prior years. However, if we factor in any incidents that historically have occurred in the remaining two months of the year, we are trending in the wrong direction and need to double down on fire prevention solutions.

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What’s the Solution to Protect Scrap (Recycled Materials) Metal Yards?

To answer this question, I didn’t have to go far. I spoke with Lindsey Scharg, my counterpart at Fire Rover who has focused on the metals industry since the beginning. Scharg was recently recognized with a prestigious Waste360 40 Under 40 award, an honor she earned for her contributions to the metals industry since 2014 when she began offering security solutions through her former company that provided security for scrap metal yards across the U.S.

In 2014, at the ISRI Convention and Exposition in Las Vegas (now ReMA), an informal conversation sparked the creation of Fire Rover. Bradley Gladstone, Fire Rover’s Founder and a former security services provider, was speaking with a client—a global scrap metal recycler—when the client remarked, “Your security company does a great job detecting fires early, but by the time the fire department arrives, it’s often too late.” This brief exchange ultimately led to the revolutionary invention of the Fire Rover.

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The now patented system, designed to rapidly detect and knock down fires before a major incident occurs, seemed like the perfect solution. However, despite the promising launch of Fire Rover, our initial efforts consistently fell short of expectations. This was surprising, especially since the industry widely acknowledged the urgent need for more effective firefighting technologies. Our early fire detection monitoring systems had already been broadly adopted by the sector. So why were scrapyards hesitant to implement the next layer of protection—our remote-activated suppression systems?

As we engaged with potential customers, we discovered that while there was significant interest in our technology, there was also skepticism. Specifically, concerns emerged about the capacity and efficacy of our suppression systems, which created hesitation in adoption despite the clear benefits.

So, we got to work to further prove our systems are the solution to the industry’s growing fire problem.

Fire Rover and Metal Operations

Initially, our Fire Rover solution was designed to detect and suppress after-hours automotive shredder residue (ASR) and fluff pile flareups caused by smoldering hot metals, but the industry’s needs evolved. Operators became increasingly concerned about autobody and light iron pile fires fueled by the proliferation of lithium-ion batteries in scrap material. So, we continued to push the limits of our solution, from 1,000 gallons of firefighting agent to our continuous flow solution, replacing water tanks and manual firefighting capabilities with remotley operated water cannons connected to unlimited water sources.

Realistically, with Fire Rover’s 24/7 remote monitoring and rapid suppression capabilities, coupled with a flourine-free (PFAS-free) foam, we have had incredible success fighting fires—often extinguishing them before the fire department arrives onsite. Notably, we have never experienced a catastrophic loss at one of our metal recyclers and we protect 50+ yard globally. However, despite this success, some of the most influential industry owners and safety professionals have advocated for an operational only approach to preventing and fighting these fires. While following operational and fire prevention best practices holds merit, many insurers and government officials have expressed concerns that some of these informal fire brigades are crossing some potential lines that are completely avoidable with our solution. 

Effective fire prevention starts with proper pile management, separation and preparation; however, many operators find it’s not always possible to shred to the ground or ship out nightly (for feeder yards). Additionally, many operators simply do not have the space, acreage, laborers or rolling stock to consistently move smaller piles to and from the shredder pad. Even so, while executing the best housekeeping, training and equipment, fire is still rampant. Sadly, a tiny flare from a propane tank in a 5 mph wind can quickly escalate and spread through cars, iron and turning piles. This can then escalate further and become a newsworthy, community-angering headache.  In reality we are dealing with heavy winds, rain, sunlight, snow and every element mother nature can send our way in an effort to twart our efforts. 

To help operators combat these challenges, we collaborated with our clients to design solutions tailored to their ever-changing needs. For example, we developed the OnWatch™ as a mobile solution for large dynamic scrap metal storage, and even a mobile suppression unit to address hot work, maintence, arc welding and small pile protection. Additionally, for our metal recycling clients, we created the Fire Rover Continuous Flow System, which features an unlimited water supply (tank or municipally applied) to match the magnitude of fuel in metal piles, adapts to onsite water availability and currently protects more than 200 feet of distance with a flow rate exceeding more than 540 gallons of water per minute.

Fire Rover Continuous Flow System with a spray distance of more than 200 feet and 540 gallons per minute.

By embracing remote firefighting technologies, scrap metal recycling yards can quickly address fire flareups, mitigate risks more effectively and protect their personnel, property and community—all while enhancing the speed and precision of fire suppression.

As Fire Rover continues to lead the way in developing innovative, client-focused solutions for an industry that faces unique and ever-evolving fire safety challenges, we always welcome feedback and the opportunity to sit with industry colleagues to learn from each other and develop solutions that would provide the industry a best in class solution that deals with both prevention, detection, and world-class fire fighting. 

Conclusion

At Fire Rover are changing the way the world fights fires from “water, water, water” to early detection and remote firefighting. The leaders of the waste and recycling industry have been open to working with us in an effort to protect their employees, the local fire professionals and the public from the harmful effects of these fires.

Based on the growing number of large fires, it is not a question of if you are going to do something but what are you going to do to protect your employees, fire professionals and the public from fires inherent in your operations. Keeping in mind that the solutions for these fire incidents is ever evolving.  Even the fire industry cannot agree on what the solution is.  The metals industry deserves a pat on the back for the work that has been done in fire prevention and disaster response over the past ten years, but unfortunately the fight is not over.  We need to bring the best and most diverse minds to the table to solve the problems we are facing.

Ryan Fogelman, JD/MBA, is a partner at Fire Rover. He is focused on bringing innovative safety solutions to market, and two of his solutions have won the distinguished Edison Innovation Award for Industrial Safety and Consumer Products. He has been compiling and publishing the “Reported Waste & Recycling Facility Fires in the US/CAN” since February 2016 and the “Waste & Recycling Facility Fires Annual Report.” Two of Fogelman’s companies have made it on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. list; most recently, Fire Rover ranked 1,517 in 2024 with a three-year revenue growth of 341%. Additionally, Fogelman is on the National Fire Protection Association’s Technical Committee for Hazard Materials. (Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjayfogelman or email at [email protected])