The cause of the May 2019 fire at a chemical plant in Kearny - which caused the closure of portions of the Pulaski Skyway - was never conclusively determined, a fire official said.

Kearny Fire Chief Steve Dyl said the investigation in the blaze at the Alden Leeds chemical plant was closed down, but the possibility of spontaneous combustion was not ruled out. Chemical reactions at the plant caused explosions days after the fire, which created large plumes of smoke that were visible in New York City

The smoke prompted officials to warn residents in Newark, Bayonne and Hoboken to close their windows and stay indoors. Dyl said this week he was not aware of any lingering air quality issues from the fire at the plant, which manufactures chlorine products for swimming pools and spas.

Officials at the companys plant, on Jacobus Avenue near the Passaic River, did not respond to a request seeking comment Wednesday.

Acute exposure to chlorine gas could result in wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or difficulty breathing. Dyl said several firefighters were treated as a result of the smoke and one civilian was injured in connection to the fire.

We had seven firefighters complain of inhalation related injury which were treated and released, Dyl said. One required additional treatment.

No criminal charges were filed in connection to the fire, authorities said.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) records show no violations have been issued at the plant since the summer of 2018. Multiple, yet brief, inspections were conducted at the plant on June 11 and August 8, and no violations were found, records show.

The plant had a second fire about two months after the May blaze too. Dyl previously said the small fire was started when leftover products being processed for disposal caused a chemical reaction that damaged pallets, The Jersey Journal reported.

The second fire drew scrutiny from the Sierra Club of New Jersey, with the groups director, Jeff Tittel, calling for an investigation of Alden Leeds.

NJ Advance Media reporter Michael Sol Warren contributed to this report.

Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico.

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Cause of chemical plant fire that closed the Pulaski Skyway is undetermined - NJ.com