KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The state is investigating a Knoxville tire recycling company it says has sustained three fires in a year, including Thursday night's blaze.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is reviewing MTR of Knoxville's permit to process tires. The company also goes by the name Mac's Tire Recyclers.

TDEC says MTR has a solid waste processing permit, but now that's under review because of the fire. The state's checking whether or not the business was in compliance, and if the state should make any changes.

Firefighters doused the remaining hot spots at MTR of Knoxville Friday afternoon.

Donald Morgan lives just yards away from the East Knoxville tire recycling plant.

"At night you can't even sit outside without the smoke, the smell of rubber burning," Morgan said.

The billowing black smoke could be seen for miles after the tire fire erupted Thursday night. Crews fought the fire through Friday afternoon.

"I'm concerned about the health problems with people around here," Morgan said.

The Environmental Protection Agency calls tire fires "serious situations."
And says they can fume a slew of hazardous pollutants.

"Just that rubber, the PVCs the tire, black nastiness just the unburned particles," Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Captain DJ Corcoran said.

UT lung expert Michael McCormack says tire fire smoke usually causes respiratory irritation for those who live in the immediate area.

"It can affect the mucus membranes, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the upper respiratory tract, and the lower respiratory airway as well," McCormack, a pulmonologist, said.

Firefighters say Friday's rain helped douse breathing concerns.

"It brought a lot of those unburned particles that were floating in the air and just beat them down to the ground. So that's good," Corcoran said.

The EPA says tire fires also typically ooze oil into the ground and surface water.

"We've received not one phone call, not one email, nothing," Tennessee Clean Water Network executive director Renee Hoyos said.

So Hoyos said she isn't particularly concerned about this fire.

"It's a very small impact compared to the other impacts we work on. The biggest source of water pollution is uncontrolled development sites," Hoyos said.

Firefighters say machinery heated built-up rubber debris and cause a fire at same facility in February. Crews say that's also likely the cause of Thursday night's fire.

Even earlier, TDEC says an MTR interim storage site in North Knoxville caught fire last May. The company blamed that on vandals.

Morgan wants the tire recycler gone from his neighborhood.

"Let it burn," Morgan said.

TDEC must approve how and where m-t-r will get rid off the burned tires.

Volunteer TV tried several times to get a statement from the company about the fires. Both the plant manager and regional manager declined to comment.

Volunteer TV also couldn't reach anyone in the Nashville Corporate Office Friday evening.