Firefighters battled the blaze for thee hours, leading to the closure of exit 77 on the Garden State Parkway.
Firefighters worked to battle a massive blaze in a junkyard in Berkeley Township on Friday. (Ocean County Sheriff's Office)BERKELEY -- Firefighters from nearly a dozen area fire departments battled a stubborn blaze in a junkyard for hours on Friday.
The fire, at the Eastern Metal Recycling facility on Double Trouble Road, raged for approximately three hours, leading to a heavy response from local fire departments and the shutdown of Garden State Parkway exit 77.
The closure of the exit, along with an unrelated motor-vehicle crash, led to a 10-mile backup on the southbound side of the Parkway, the Ocean County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook.
Officials determined the fire was accidental and happened while workers performed routine recycling duties, according to preliminary information from investigators. The fire started near a pile of household appliances that were in the process of being recycled.
Officers with the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to a report of the fire shortly before 3 p.m. When officers arrived, they encountered a large plume of heavy smoke and spotted a blaze located near a fence adjacent to the woods, heightening anxiety that the fire could spread.
Also adding to anxiety was the whipping wind, which was a major factor in the spread of a massive fire that raged about 40 miles north in Keyport. That fire, in the business district in Keyport, left dozens of firefighters with non life-threatening injuries.
In Berkeley, the blaze was finally extinguished after three hours, and was contained to the junkyard. Once the fire was out, the Parkway exit was reopened and fire officials started their investigation.
The investigation was handled by the Berkeley Township Detective Bureau, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office's Crime Scene Unit (CSI).
The following fire companies responded to the scene: Pinewald Pioneer, Bayville, Manitou, Bamber Lake, Pleasant Plains, Forked River, Eagleswood and Joint Base MDL. Also assisting at the scene were first aid and emergency medical service personnel from Berkeley, Bayville, Lacey, and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Berkeley Township Hazmat, Berkeley Fire Official and the Ocean County Fire Coordinator.
Berkeley police commended all the agencies involved for their teamwork and ability to quell the fire without it spreading.
"The quick action and coordinated effort by all those involved quickly averted a much larger fire which had the potential to burn nearby residential areas given the dangerous fire conditions that existed today," Berkeley police said in a statement.
The fire remains under investigation.
Police asked anyone with information to call Berkeley Township police at 732-341-1132. Anonymous tips can also be left at 732-341-1132 ext. 611.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.