Fire breaks out at Charlotte’s new recycling facility, no injuries reported

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A fire broke out overnight at Charlotte’s new recycling facility located along Pence Road, just over a week after it officially opened.

Firefighters with the Charlotte Fire Department responded, bringing the blaze under control within 30 minutes. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

The fire happened at the Pence Road Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), located in the 7800 block of Pence Road in east Charlotte. CFD said 30 firefighters arrived at the scene early Wednesday morning to find flames inside the facility, which had just begun full operations on June 17.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

County officials said this new 48,510-square-foot facility plays a major role in the region’s recycling efforts. It serves as the main processing center for all single-stream recyclable materials collected from residential curbside bins, schools, and drop-off locations across Mecklenburg County and several nearby areas.

On average, it’s expected to process over 6,000 tons of recyclable material each month. Mecklenburg County officials said that’s more than 300 tons every day.

The facility helps the county manage waste and keep more materials out of landfills.