A large fire broke out at a Halifax-area recycling depot after a grinder malfunctioned.

Fire crews were called to John Ross and Sons Ltd. in Goodwood, N.S., just after 6 p.m. Thursday.

The fire was extinguished quickly but crews were on the scene for hours dealing with hot spots in large piles of recyclable car material. A payloader had to be used to tear the pile apart at one time.

Crews also faced problems with the water supply while battling the blaze due to a lack of hydrants in the area.

No one was injured and the fire department is still investigating the cause of the blaze.