November 14, 2023 |
Photo – Fire fighter spraying the blaze – Courtesy Rawlins Fire Department
A fire Saturday afternoon closed the Rawlins Landfill.
At 1:24 pm, the Rawlins Fire Department received a call of a fire at the city dump. Battalion Chief Allen Robinson said fire fighters from Rawlins, Sinclair, and the county teamed up to fight the blaze.
Battalion Chief Robinson said the fire began in a pile of construction debris. Robinson said fire fighters and landfill staff moved the burning pile away from the rest of the construction waste using bulldozers and other heavy equipment. Robinson said fire fighters successfully prevented the flames from igniting any nearby underground garbage.
The Rawlins landfill was closed while fire fighter crews battled the blaze. Battalion Chief Robinson said the fire is still smoldering, but completely under control. Robinson said the dump is once again accepting construction waste.
Battalion Chief Robinson said after four hours of fighting the fire, crews felt comfortable leaving the smoldering trash to burn itself out.
Robinson said he is unlikely to ever know how the fire started. The fact that only garbage was affected means that a full investigation won’t occur. The battalion chief said he believes the fire was caused by hot ashes.
No one was injured in the fire. Battalion Chief Robinson thanked the Carbon County and Sinclair fire departments and the Rawlins landfill staff for helping extinguish the flames before any significant damage was done.
