An outdoor fire broke out late Tuesday morning at Cimco Recycling Center in Sterling, with over 21 fire, EMS or sheriff’s departments called in to help put out a shred pile blaze at the back of the property.

The Sterling Fire Department, Rock Falls Fire Department and CGH EMS were dispatched shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday for a large outside fire at Cimco Recycling, 13509 Galt Road.

While en route, fire crews noticed a large amount of smoke and called for a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) response that was upgraded to a second alarm.

Firefighters extinguished the fire, and crews had left the scene by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Sterling Fire Department news release.