Tooele County residents urged to stay indoors following fire at landfill
Oct 16, 2024, 3:08 PM | Updated: Oct 17, 2024, 11:02 am
A fire broke out at the Tooele County Landfill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Amber Einerson)
(Amber Einerson)
TOOELE — The Tooele County Health Department reported poor air quality on Wednesday, following a fire at the Tooele County Landfill.
The fire, located at 2830 S. Bauer Road, caused unsafe air quality for surrounding areas.
“The smoke from this fire could cause unsafe concentrations of particulates,” the health department posted on Facebook.
As a result, the health department asked the public to stay indoors and avoid any outdoor activities, especially those with respiratory ailements.
“Sensitive groups should remain indoors and keep activity levels low in addition to keeping particle levels low indoors,” the post futher stated.
A fire at the Tooele County Landfill on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Donovan Fail)
As a precaution, schools in the Tooele Valley kept students inside for the remainder of the day.
Details of the fire
According to Jon Smith with the North Tooele Fire District, the landfill has a lot of various materials — from yard debris to plastics. Smith said that it was likely a plastic material that was burning.
The fire was first reported just before 8:30 a.m. The landfill staff had the fire under control, according to Smith. However, crews were monitoring the scene to ensure the fire didn’t pick back up.
Smith also said there wasn’t access to a lot of water on scene, so dirt and other “natural sources” were used to contain the fire.
No structures were threatened by the fire, and there were no injuries reported.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
Video courtesy: Ian Carson
