Fire at North Philadelphia scrap metal yard sends thick smoke over Hunting Park neighborhood

Crews battled a large fire at a scrap metal yard in North Philadelphia's Hunting Park neighborhood Sunday night, sending thick, hazy smoke into the sky and raising concerns among neighbors who say problems at the property have persisted for years.

The fire broke out shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of 3810 Old York Road at Nicholas Scrap Metal.

Video from the neighborhood showed massive flames and plumes of dark smoke rising from the property, appearing dangerously close to nearby homes and personal property.

Nicole Nocho, who has lived on the corner for 52 years, said she called 911 after hearing loud noises coming from the area.

"It was like loud booms — and when I looked out my window — I could see the orange plumes in the yard," Nocho said.

Firefighters remained at the scene for hours Sunday evening. Smoke around the property was so thick that firefighters were difficult to see even from just yards away.

Nocho said she was concerned about what she and other neighbors could be breathing.

"You're breathing in this air, it's not good, breathing in this air," Nocho said. "And this was hours ago — they've been here for hours since they can't seem to get this fire down."

Nocho said Sunday's fire was not the first she has seen at the scrap yard. She said the business moved into the neighborhood a few decades ago and that problems associated with the property have made living nearby increasingly difficult.

"With the fires, it's bad business," Nocho said.

Neighbor Veronica Hall said Sunday's fire has made her reconsider living in the neighborhood.

"It's not safe," Hall said. "We don't know what goes on in that place."

Neighbors said they have already been working with their block captains to raise concerns about what they describe as repeated problems at the scrap yard.

"We need help over here," Nocho said.

Hall said residents should not have to repeatedly deal with problems associated with a neighboring business.

"Everybody around here pays to live here," Hall said. "We have to deal with the aftermath."

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Nicholas Scrap Metal for a statement about Sunday's fire and neighbors' concerns about previous fires and other alleged nuisances at the property, but had not heard back Sunday night.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.