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Pendleton County Landfill
Tuesday night, May 23, at a little after 11 p.m., Rumpke’s Pendleton County Landfill experienced a fire at its working face – which is the area where trash was placed that day. The area was covered with a heavy tarp at the end of the day, which is a standard procedure to help control wind-blown litter, odors, and scavenging.
The area was approximately 50 x 150 feet.
The local fire departments along with our landfill team worked together to put out the fire.
“We are very thankful for the assistance of the local emergency responders,” said Molly Yeager, communications manager. “Their quick response helped to contain the fire and ensure no major damage occurred.”
The cause of the fire has not been determined; however, Rumpke officials say these events are often caused by a flammable item thrown into the garbage. Items like lithium-ion batteries, pool chemicals, and hot charcoal are known fire starters.
“Batteries and pool chemicals aren’t accepted in our programs, and charcoal needs to be soaked prior to disposal,” Yeager said.
Rumpke team members perform visual audits at the curb, as do heavy equipment operators at the landfill, to try to prevent these items from being collected or disposed of at the site; however, with items bagged, team members can’t always catch prior to disposal.
“We ask that customers review our curbside guidelines on Rumpke.com or reach out to our team with questions if you are unsure of how to properly dispose an item to prevent future fires,” Yeager said.
The fire department left the scene at approximately 2 a.m. the following morning.