Hundreds of firefighters battled a massive fire that consumed a plastics plant in Northampton County on Tuesday.

The fire at the Nicos Polymers Group in the 700 block of Bangor Road in Plainfield Township was first reported around 5:00 a.m.

The landlord told 69 News that about two dozen employees were inside the building when the fire started, but they all got out safely. He said the building is a total loss.

The fire, fueled by propane tanks and the highly flammable plastics inside the plant, burned out of control for several hours and sent a tall plume of thick, black smoke high into the air, officials said.

At the height of the fire, the smoke could be seen from as far away as Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

Dozens of agencies were dispatched to the scene, some from as far away as New Jersey and Berks and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, according to the Northampton County Division of Emergency Management Services.

The Department of Environmental Protection was dispatched to monitor the air and water in the surrounding area. At last report, there were no abnormal issues, however, Northampton County EMS asked anyone with respiratory problems to stay indoors.

According to the landowner, the 180,000 square-foot building did have a sprinkler system and fire hydrants on the property, but for some reason, neither worked property.

Fire officials said crews had to use portable water tanks to fight the fire because the public water system was unable to support the water flow needed to fight the fire.

8/2/11 STORY:Plastic Plant Fire Not Easy Blaze To Battle

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As a precaution for any evacuees, a temporary shelter was established at St. Peter's Lutheran Church at 1422 Church Road in Plainfield Township.

According to the company's website, Nicos Polymers Group is a plastic recycling and "resource recovery" plant.

An article from Pasticsnews.com, written in February, said Nicos Polymers Group was in the process of being purchased by Ohio-based Coll Materials LLC.

Another report from Recycling Today, written last week, said the company was being moved to a bigger location in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, and 75 jobs were being added.

As of February, Nicos Polymers was ranked the 20th largest recycler in North America by Plastic News.

This is the second major industrial fire in Northampton County this month.

On July 15, firefighters from nearly 20 fire companies were dispatched to the National Plastic and Manufacturing in Palmer Township and worked six hours to bring the fire under control.

No one was injured.