The fire started just after 1 p.m. Wednesday in the 500 block of West Annsbury Street.
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It reached three alarms and some 120 fire personnel were on the scene.
The fire was brought under control shortly after 3 p.m.
"Today the wind helped us a little bit because it helped dissipate the smoke that was coming from this area and that played key because we had three schools that were impacted by this fire today," said Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker.
Chopper 6 video of fire at Hunting Park junkyard
The kids at the schools are fine. They were moved to a safe space as a precaution within their buildings.
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The whole Hunting Park neighborhood came to a halt. With so many hoses needed, several blocks of North 5th Street and others had to be closed.
Philadelphia Health Department took samples to monitor air quality. The results of these tests are pending and will be released when available, the department said.
Several neighbors reported their smoke alarms and CO2 detectors were going off.
One neighbor was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. There were no injuries to firefighters.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.