LEMAY — Firefighters say a six-alarm fire at a St. Louis County recycling center started in smoldering bale of paper.
A dozen fire departments worked early Friday to douse the fire at Southside Recycling in Lemay, which spread after embers from the smoldering paper landed on a pile of cardboard. The first alarm came at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, and within an hour five more alarms sounded.
Authorities say 12 workers in the center escaped injury.
Nearby ramps along Interstate 55 were closed for several hours.
Firefighters say all hoses on about 30 fire trucks were used to pour water on the stubborn fire. Bulldozers were used to dig out and spread the smoldering materials.