TOWN OF PESHTIGO (NBC 26) — Highway 64 is back open Tuesday after being closed overnight because of a fire.
The Peshtigo Fire Department is continuing to investigate a fire in a metal recycling yard that burned for hours beginning Monday afternoon.
Fire Chief Mike Folgert says crews noticed the heavy fire when they arrived with large amounts of black smoke. He says the fire was threatening vehicles nearby that still had batteries and fuel tanks in them.
Crews were able to keep nearby warehouse buildings from igniting, but smoke covered much of Highway 64 and nearby homes.
Fire officials have returned to check the pile several times since the fire broke out. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, they were responding back to put out another hot spot deep down in the pile as heavy equipment continues to work on pulling the pile apart to provide access.
Firefighters are using a drone with thermal imaging to identify hot spots and they'll continue to monitor the pile for any flareups.
The fire started in a large pile of scrap metal and vehicles. While the exact cause is unknown, Folgert said the fire is not suspicious and was nothing intentional. No one was injured while fighting the fire.
While there was a small grass fire on an adjoining property, no structures burned.
