How Mat-Su landfill officials are working to prevent another big fire

What you need to know:

• Mat-Su landfill officials have removed a pile of discarded tires that contributed to a large fire at the site last month.
• The oversized tires which were awaiting disposal. Officials believe the fire started with grass clippings or household trash incorrectly dumped in an area meant for construction debris.
• State environmental officials monitored air quality after the incident and are working with landfill management to reduce fire risks. Residents are urged to properly dispose of hazardous materials, such as lithium batteries and propane canisters, which are common causes of smaller fires and environmental hazards at the landfill.

PALMER - Mat-Su landfill officials have removed a pile of discarded tires that contributed to a large fire at the site last month.

The Nov. 11 fire was sparked by trash improperly dumped in an area designated for construction debris, said Jeff Smith, solid waste manager for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The fire produced thick black smoke visible for miles after spreading to the pile of large tires temporarily stored near the construction debris area.

While most tires brought to the landfill are shredded and used as underlayment for landfill projects, very large tires, such as those used on tractors, are too big for the shredder and must instead be moved and buried, Smith said. The tires that fueled the fire were awaiting that removal, a process that has since been fast-tracked as a safety precaution, he told the Mat-Su Assembly on Tuesday.

Smith said they don't know exactly what materials initially started the fire, but believe it was likely grass clippings or household trash.

First responders quickly contained the fire and prevented it from spreading, but fully extinguishing it took hours because of the nature of the materials burning and the need to use digging equipment to reach some of the flames, borough public safety officials said Wednesday. Borough firefighters used about $6,000 worth of suppression foam during the response, Smith said.

Few people were at the landfill when the fire started because of the Veterans Day holiday, Smith said. State environmental officials monitored air quality after the incident and are now working with landfill management to prevent a similar event, he said.

The November fire was the first major blaze at the landfill in about two years, Smith said. However, smaller fires caused by improperly discarded hazardous materials, such as lithium batteries and propane canisters, are a regular occurrence, he said.

Residents can help prevent these incidents by properly disposing of hazardous waste, Smith said. Frequently trashed items such as batteries and small propane canisters can ignite when crushed by a compactor, start underground fires that smolder and grow over time, or cause significant environmental damage by leaching toxic materials into the region's water table, he said.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at abushatz@matsusentinel.com