That black smoke over Indianapolis came from a junkyard tire fire

Firefighters from Indianapolis and Wayne Township spent several hours Tuesday morning battling a blaze at a west-side junkyard.

Scrap vehicles, tires and other material caught fire shortly after 10 a.m. at Ace Midtown Recycling, 501 S. Tibbs Ave., Indianapolis Fire Department spokesman Jason Kistler said.

The fire began when fuel burst into flames as an employee was draining a scrap vehicle's gas tank, Kistler said.

Firefighters from several area agencies assisted and had difficulty getting water and foam on the flames deep inside a large pile of material, Kistler said. Foam is useful for extinguishing flammable liquids, IFD said. 

The flames from burning tires and other scraps produced thick smoke that was visible for miles. Firefighters got the blaze under control at 11:27 a.m., IFD said.

IndyStar visual journalist Jenna Watson contributed to this story.

Contact IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at 317-444-2701 or vic.ryckaert@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.