COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Several stubborn fires might have been set to cover a theft at a West Side paper-recycling plant, officials said.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
An internal fire alarm at the Royal Paper Company first alerted Columbus firefighters that something was wrong at the facility.
Recycled paper is baled and shipped out for reprocessing at the West Side facility at 1300 Norton Road.
When trucks pulled up to the single-story warehouse shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday evening, they could see smoke coming out the roof.
They were still at the scene four hours later. There were several fires inside.
According to spokesman Battalion Chief David Whiting, investigators determined that many of the huge, baled bundles of paper had been deliberately set on fire, perhaps to cover what appeared to be a theft.
The smoldering tons of paper resisted fire suppression and had to be moved with power-lift equipment.
Officials said an internal sprinkler system prevented the multiple fires inside from getting out of control.
No one was injured in the fire, which remained under investigation.
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