COHOES - A scrap metal business with a history of environmental violations and fires burned again Tuesday.

The fire at NH Kelman Scrap Recycling at 41 Euclid St. started around 6 p.m. Hours later, fire crews were still battling flames. Neighbors were evacuated as the black smoke thickened.

Explosions unsettled spectators who gathered across Interstate 787, which was closed to traffic.

"When we arrived there was a pretty big-sized fire — a lot of smoke, a lot of fire, a lot of heat," said Mayor Shawn Morse. "The firefighters are back there in the 100-degree heat, on top of the fire."

Scrap metal, plastic, and even an excavator were consumed by the blaze, and propane tanks likely caused of explosions, the mayor said. "We've had fires here before but not to this magnitude," said Morse, who was a Cohoes firefighter for 27 years.

Albany International Airport firefighters assisted with foam trucks. No injuries were reported.

The 10-acre facility includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse. The family-run company founded in 1903 handles scrap metal and paper from Canada to North Carolina, according to the website.



One of the previous fires was sparked in July 2011 when a car perched on a pile of scrap metal exploded. A more destructive blaze in 1988 quickly spread from the scrap yard to hunks of metal left on the street, leading the city to fine Kelman for improper storage, the Times Union reported at the time.

Councilman Randy Koniowka said that as the area becomes more residential, the scrap yard's location may no longer be wise. Senior housing was recently built on Dyke Avenue, bordering the Kelman property. Neighbors worry about fires and toxic smoke, Koniowka said.

"I've gotten a lot of complaints," Koniowka said. "There is a lot of noise, and when these fires break out, we don't know what's going up in the air. There are a lot of environmental issues. The residents have a right to be concerned."

The state Department of Environmental Conservation cited the company for pollution at least twice in the last six years. It was fined $250,000 in 2012 for violations, including running two aluminum smelters at temperatures that could have emitted toxic chemicals, and $5,000 in 2013 for allowing polluted water to escape during heavy rains.

Kelman is working with the city to revitalize the I-787 corridor, the mayor said. "I hope we can get the fire out so they can get their stuff back in gear and their business back in order," Morse said.

The Cohoes Boulevard plan includes walkways next to Kelman. "Who will want to walk their dog next to that," Koniowska said. "The Kelmans are a good family and we want recycling, but we don't need it here."

Read more: State DOT unveils Cohoes Boulevard plans for Route 787