Shortly after 7:00 pm last night, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the Portand Fire Department was alerted  to a report of flames coming from a pile of recycled material at Radius Recycling located at 568 Riverside Street. The first arriving units found an outside fire burning in an 80 by 40 foot metal pile.

Crews contained the fire to the recycled material and the adjacent wooded area, prevening any impact to neary structures.  Approximately 400,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish and contain the fire.  Maine DEP was brought to the scene to assist with containment and removal of any run-off.

The fire caused a significant smoke event and the smoke column was visible from a great distance.  Riverside Street was closed from  about 7:00 – 9:00 pm, but reopened shotly after 9:00 pm.  The fire was considered under control just before 10:00 pm with the majority of units clear from the scene around 10:30 pm.

The fire is under investigation.  At this time, there is no information available related to cause or origin.  No injuries were reported to area residents or firefighters.