HOUSTON – Air Alliance Houston will hold a news conference Thursday morning following the large fire at Mammoth Metal Recycling in southeast Houston that burned for more than 24 hours and raised ongoing concerns about air quality in nearby communities.
The briefing comes after the fire at the Manchester-area facility, which involved a large pile of tires and recycling debris, sent heavy smoke across surrounding neighborhoods beginning Monday afternoon.
Air Alliance Houston says community air monitors detected elevated levels of fine particulate matter during the incident.
Air Alliance also added that two monitors positioned downwind of the facility and about 1.5 miles apart recorded pollution spikes around the same time, raising concerns that nearby neighborhoods may have experienced even higher exposure than what was captured by official monitoring systems.
The fire broke out around 2:49 p.m. Monday, June 22, at the facility near Kellogg and Lawndale streets.
Houston Fire Department officials said the fire was caused by a large pile of tires, trash and debris, growing to roughly the size of a football field.
About 100 firefighters were rotated through the response as crews worked in extreme heat to contain the fire.
Fire officials also used rehabilitation units on scene to monitor firefighter health during the extended operation.
Houston Fire Department Chief Thomas Muñoz previously said crews worked to keep the fire from spreading and reassured residents that there was no immediate danger to surrounding communities during the response.
Multiple agencies, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, have been monitoring air quality and runoff in the area.
Air Alliance Houston says it will share its analysis, community health concerns and questions for regulators and public officials during Thursday’s news conference.
Community members and environmental advocates are also expected to speak about long-term concerns and potential policy changes to prevent similar incidents.