Fire at Axmen Recycling in Wye burns more than 100 cars

Wye, Mont. — A fire at Axmen Recycling outside Missoula burned more than 100 cars and and will keep crews at the site into the night.

The fire started earlier in the day at the recycling yard in Wye. Guy Hanson, the owner of Axmen Recycling, said he got a call about it at about 12:30 p.m. and firefighters were already there when he arrived.

Hanson said nobody was at the yard when the fire started and no one was hurt.

He had a theory as to what might have happened.

“My guess is a spark started, that's generally what happens. We had a fire a few years ago, and that was caused by a spark when a forklift entered. You get just the right conditions. We process thousands and thousands and thousands of cars,” Hanson said.

Ron Lubke, a battalion chief with the Missoula Rural Fire District, said the fire was contained after crews responded from Frenchtown, East Missoula and Florence, among others.

Lubke said the first crew on the scene saw heavy smoke as they approached.

“[The] first unit responding from their station, just down Highway Ten, can see a very large column of smoke. We began ordering more resources,” Lubke said. “At that time, they arrived to find a large pile of cars on fire. Some cars [were] anywhere from 3 to 6 stacked high.”

Lubke said cooler, damp weather made it easier on the crew compared to the fire there years before.

Hanson said there's a reason the fire burned so fiercely.

“Cars have so much plastic. That's what's burning," he said.

"We drain all of the fluids, the oil, gas and that stuff out, pull the batteries. But not all these cars were processed yet,” Hanson said.

Fire crews are expected to stay at Axmen Recycling through the night to put out spot fires.

Hanson said he expected the business to be open Monday, even if the work is focused on cleanup.