Crews worked to extinguish a fire in a recycling center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, August 27, as police warned residents to avoid the area.

Drone footage shows crews hosing down a smoking pile of materials that caught fire at a northeastern Massachusetts recycling plant.

The video was captured as crews worked to put out the fire at Windfield Recycling in Lawrence, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, according to Storyful.

The Lawrence Police Department shared on social media just before 11 a.m. on Aug. 27 that locals should avoid the area due to the "large fire."

USA TODAY contacted local officials and Windfield Recycling for more information on Thursday, Aug. 28, but did not immediately receive a response.

As crews worked to extinguish the fire, the drone captured images of piled-up, crumbled material such as a dryer or washing machine, and multiple bikes.

The footage showed fire engines using multiple hoses to put out the fire as a thick cloud of smoke rose from the fenced-off pile at the plant. At one point, the wheel of a pink and white bicycle could be seen spinning swiftly as a stream of water rushed past it.

Watch: Drone footage captures recycling plant fire

What does Windfield Recycling do?

Windfield Recycling is headquartered in Atkinson, New Hampshire, about 12.5 miles north of where the fire broke out, according to the company’s website. The company has been in business since 1978, and its Lawrence location, where the fire happened, is the company's original iron yard, the company shared online in July.

Today, the plant rents dumpsters out to customers and accepts precious metals, electronics, materials that contain iron and other waste. The company does not accept hazardous materials such as liquids, oils or lithium-ion batteries, per its website.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drone footage captures huge fire at recycling plant: Watch

Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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