AULANDER – Liverman’s Metal Recycling was again the site of an early-morning blaze.

According to Bertie County Emergency Management Coordinator Mitch Cooper, 12 departments ended up at the site on N.C. 11 between Aulander and Lewiston fighting a fire in what is known as the fluff pile.

The call for the Aulander Fire Department came out at 2:30 a.m. followed soon by pages for Kelford, Roxobel and Lewiston to join the department. In addition, the Askewville Fire Department, Windsor Fire Department and Trapp Fire Department were also paged out in Bertie County.

Hertford County also had four units respond including Ahoskie Rural, Millennium, St. John and Winton. The Oak City Fire Department in Martin County also responded.

Cooper said the cause of the fire was unknown and that the plant was closed when the fire broke out.

He stated there were no injuries and that all the departments worked smoothly.

The last unit left the scene at 9:30 a.m.

This is the fourth time the facility has had multiple units turn out to fight a fire.

The most recent was in February when the fluff pile caught fire and six units were dispatched to the scene. Before that, the pile caught fire in November of last year when seven units took more than eight hours to extinguish the blaze.

The fourth fire at the facility did not involve the fluff pile.

Cooper said there were reports that a few tires may have been involved in the fire, but there was no damage to buildings or machinery.

He said the multiple occurrences were becoming a concern.

“This is four times now and it is a concern for the county and for the safety of responders,” he said.