The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet has released the cause of a Saturday fire at the Hopkinsville landfill on Mount Zoar Road in Christian County.
Cabinet Communications Director John Mura says the fire occurred in the residual portion of the landfill that was between 3/4 and 1 acre in size. The fire was discovered by facility staff when they reported for work on Saturday morning. The cause of the fire could not be determined.
The cabinet recommended to the Hopkinsville Solid Waste that limiting the size of the working face of the landfill and the amount of uncovered waste reduces the chances of fire and limits spread when a fire occurs.
When asked if there were any issues with air quality as the result of the fire, Mura said investigators determined wind direction during the fire was monitored and the nearest home was located about one mile away. No health issues were reported as a result of the fire and smoke. The impacted area was completely covered with soil by 4:20 Saturday afternoon, with no more smoke observed.
The Emergency Response Team from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection performed a follow-up site visit on the morning of July 9th and reported no evidence of smoke coming from the portion of the landfill that caught fire. An additional follow-up visit was planned for Monday.
