NJ fire at garbage transfer building kills one person

NEW JERSEY - Firefighters are investigating a deadly fire at a waste-disposal facility in Union County on Tuesday. 

The fire started just before 2 p.m. Tuesday at Waste Management's transfer station on Julia Street in Elizabeth, a spokesperson for the city said. 

The five-alarm fire may have started in some machinery at the commercial trash disposal building, according to spokesperson Ruby Contreras.

Crews evacuated nearby homes as a precaution and a shelter in place order was lifted at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

One person was unaccounted for, Contreras said.  On Wednesday morning, authorities say a body was found in the building.  They believe it is the missing employee.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.  The building was considered a complete loss.

The fire was mostly out, except for some smoldering areas.

Operations at Newark Liberty Airport, which is nearby, was not affected by the fire, according to the airport's Twitter account.