Even at 11 p.m. Tuesday, residents were being urged to keep their doors and widows closed, even though chemicals in the smoke were said to not be harmful.
The fire began just before 12:00 p.m. in the 5100 block of Stump Road in Plumstead Township.
The fire went to four alarms as firefighters from across Bucks and Montgomery counties and from as far away as Hunterdon County in New Jersey were called to the scene.
Large plumes of thick, black smoke rose high into the air.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, though the Action Cam did see some firefighters being treated for heat exhaustion.
Firefighters first tried to fight the fire from inside, but it was too intense. They moved outside, but later had to deal with water supply problems. Two ponds on site were drained, and then tankers had to be sent to four more ponds to get water to fight the flames.
Between 200 to 300 people from 30 different fire companies responded. The call went so far and wide because the blaze started in the midst of the day, in an area where firefighters are mostly volunteers.
County officials were on site monitoring for dangerous chemicals in the air and water. None were found.
Five firefighters needed medical treatment for respiratory problems, believed to be related to the smoke and the heat. They are all expected to be OK.
