A huge plume of thick black smoke rises from a massive fire Tuesday evening that engulfed the closed Materials Management and Recycling plant at 1207 School St., just east of Virginia Union University. Firefighters from 14 companies from Richmond and Henrico and Chesterfield counties spent three hours fighting the blaze at the former tire and scrap metal recycling operation before gaining control around 9 p.m. The owner of the business, Matthew Appelget, said the plant has been closed since Dec. 31. An apartment development is slated to rise on the property.
