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Blue Springs, MO —
It was inevitable, a fire official said, that it would burn.
The Pink Hill Landfill in Blue Springs became the latest fire in what is becoming one of the busiest stretches in fire fighting for the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
On Saturday afternoon, the landfill on North Missouri 7 got hot enough to ignite and did, smoldering for a few hours as fire fighters worked to contain it, according to Ed Saffell, assistant fire chief with CJC.
“It’s going to burn a long time,” Saffell said Sunday. “It just got hotter and hotter until it ignited.”
The cause of the fire is not known, Saffell said. He said most landfills are consistently hot through summers, and it’s only a matter of time that many just ignite because of the building heat.
Firefighters arrived at the landfill at about 3 p.m. and quickly contained it. Once it was contained, firefighters remained at the scene and left some containment equipment with operators to help keep it cool.
Saturday’s fire concluded a busy week for CJC.
On Wednesday, firefighters battled an apartment fire at Autumn Place Apartments. As many as 20 apartments were destroyed, displacing occupants. The estimated cost of damage there was about $500,000, Saffell said.
On Friday, the Comfort Inn on Missouri 7 caught on fire after a cigarette, placed in the mulch out front, ignited the walls. The fire traveled quickly into the attic and consumed it quickly. Three fire departments battled the blaze for hours.
Saffell said the cost of damage could be as much as $3 million, perhaps more.
“Just two years ago they did a big remodeling job there,” Saffell said. “It’s pretty sad.”
Hotel security is at the site to ensure no one enters the property. Saffell said one of the walls will most likely collapse in the near future, so he’s asking the people avoid it.
“It’s buckling now and that part of the building is full of a lot of water,” he said.
It was inevitable, a fire official said, that it would burn.
The Pink Hill Landfill in Blue Springs became the latest fire in what is becoming one of the busiest stretches in fire fighting for the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
On Saturday afternoon, the landfill on North Missouri 7 got hot enough to ignite and did, smoldering for a few hours as fire fighters worked to contain it, according to Ed Saffell, assistant fire chief with CJC.
“It’s going to burn a long time,” Saffell said Sunday. “It just got hotter and hotter until it ignited.”
The cause of the fire is not known, Saffell said. He said most landfills are consistently hot through summers, and it’s only a matter of time that many just ignite because of the building heat.
Firefighters arrived at the landfill at about 3 p.m. and quickly contained it. Once it was contained, firefighters remained at the scene and left some containment equipment with operators to help keep it cool.
Saturday’s fire concluded a busy week for CJC.
On Wednesday, firefighters battled an apartment fire at Autumn Place Apartments. As many as 20 apartments were destroyed, displacing occupants. The estimated cost of damage there was about $500,000, Saffell said.
On Friday, the Comfort Inn on Missouri 7 caught on fire after a cigarette, placed in the mulch out front, ignited the walls. The fire traveled quickly into the attic and consumed it quickly. Three fire departments battled the blaze for hours.
Saffell said the cost of damage could be as much as $3 million, perhaps more.
“Just two years ago they did a big remodeling job there,” Saffell said. “It’s pretty sad.”
Hotel security is at the site to ensure no one enters the property. Saffell said one of the walls will most likely collapse in the near future, so he’s asking the people avoid it.
“It’s buckling now and that part of the building is full of a lot of water,” he said.
