Large landfill fire in Pecos now out
PECOS, Texas (KOSA) - UPDATE AS OF MONDAY 7/24: Pecos City Manager Charles Lino has given an update on the fire in the landfill the week of July 11th.
Lindo says:
- the fire is now extinguished.
- Residential trash was not affected, but commercial dumping was paused since the fire occurred.
- The delay was caused by continued hot spots in the pit from the fire. The city wanted to proceed with caution and prioritize staff and equipment safety.
- Lino encourages people to contact city staff if they have any questions.
Monday night’s Pecos landfill fire continued to smolder under the watchful eye of city staff Tuesday morning.
The fire quickly grew after lightning struck the landfill at about 7 p.m. Monday.
Winds from a thunderstorm created wildfire-like conditions, but firefighters were able to contain the fire by 11 p.m., according to City Manager Charles Lino.
“When I came out here this morning it was down probably 80-85% of what it had been last night and it continues to smolder,” Lino said. “The winds kind of make it look like it’s worse than it is sometimes.”
Officials say the fire is contained to a pit and the best course of action is to let it go out naturally. City staff will continue to monitor the fire.
“The safety of our personnel, then our equipment, is priority number one,” Lino said. “That’s one of the reasons why I say we want to start putting dirt on it, but it depends on the situation.”
The fire originally engulfed an area of about 120 feet by 200 feet. The fire caused no injuries or structural damage. Lino says all that was burnt was trash.
While a smoke smell may persist in the area, officials aren’t concerned about air quality.
“There’s nothing toxic in there,” Lino said. “It’s not like a tire fire or something that’s gonna cause some caustic fumes to go out.”
Officials do not expect trash pick up to be affected.
The landfill is closed until further notice, but Lino says it may open as soon as Wednesday.
ORIGINAL STORY:
According to the Town of Pecos City’s Facebook page, a fire started at the landfill Monday night and is still burning as of Tuesday morning.
However, the city assures everyone the situation is under control.
As a precautionary measure, the city is closing the landfill until further notice for both commercial and residential services.
The city says this closure will allow their team to concentrate fully on handling the fire and ensuring the safety of their staff and the community.
Reeves County Sheriff Art Granado tells CBS7 that the fire was caused by a lightning strike.
CBS7 will update this story as more is known.
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