A fire that started at a Dundalk recycling center last Saturday and rekindled this week is nearly extinguished, officials said.

The Baltimore County Fire Department announced on social media Friday that the fire at Owl Metals Inc. and Owl Corporation is now mostly extinguished, and firefighters remain on the scene putting out hot spots.

“We’re like 90 to 95% done here,” said Capt. Steven Czawlytko. “We’re making significant progress.”

Owl Corporation is a paper recycling company that purchases cardboard and office paper, among other products, while Owl Metals purchases items such as aluminum, copper, gold and silver.

Though the cause of the fire is still being investigated, according to Czawlytko, the fire started on the paper recycling side of the building. Czawlytko said there were thousands upon thousands of compressed cardboard pallets.

“What we’re having to do is take a machine and break down every single palette to put out the fire,” Czawlytko said.

The Maryland Department of the Environment on Friday again urged those in the area to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and said those in sensitive groups who live nearby should avoid outdoor activities.

“This guidance will likely remain in place until the fire is completely extinguished and there is no more smoke,” a department spokesperson said in a statement to The Banner. “It is still the case that conditions near the fire site can be expected to vary based on weather, the time of day, and the ongoing fire activity itself. The highest concentrations are expected overnight, from evening through daybreak due to weather, and during periods of increased fire activity. How these align determines potential smoke exposure.”

Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicology physician at MedStar Health, advises people in the area to stay inside as much as possible, keep all doors and windows closed in their homes and, if they need to go out, keep their car windows up to limit smoke inhalation. But her biggest concern with fire combustion is fine particulate matter.

“This fine particulate matter involves really, really small particles that may not be visible to the naked eye, but they can very easily pass through your mouth into your respiratory system, in your lungs, and they can cause unwanted health effects, especially for people who are in at-risk groups, like young children and the elderly and people who have underlying heart and lung disease,” Johnson-Arbor said.

The fire burned amid a polar vortex that dropped temperatures to the single digits in the area and led to school closures and delays. Though fire officials said weather conditions did not impact their extinguishing efforts, Johnson-Arbor warns of the dual effects of the winter weather and smoke.

“The combination of the cold exposure and the products of combustion that people are inhaling in the environment can definitely cause worsening effects on the lungs,” she said.

Additionally, as many emergency rooms may be overwhelmed with those experiencing flu-like symptoms, Johnson-Arbor recommends those concerned about smoke-related respiratory issues visit urgent care centers for help.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the name of Steven Czawlytko.