Firefighters from multiple departments spent hours working a large fire at a Clarke County landfill, sending a towering column of black smoke over the Jackson area that was visible for miles.
The Jackson Fire Department said crews were still fighting the blaze late in the afternoon and that the cause had not been determined. Flames were reported shooting up from the burning refuse, with heavy smoke drifting across the area.
Water Hauled to the Scene
Because landfill sites sit well away from municipal water lines, crews set up a staging area and shuttled water to the fire as it was needed, a labor-intensive tactic common in rural firefighting. The Wagarville fire chief said several departments responded to help.
Despite the heat and the length of the operation, no heat-related injuries or illnesses among firefighters were reported.
Cause Undetermined
Landfill fires can smolder deep in compacted waste and often take extended periods to fully extinguish, requiring heavy equipment to break apart burning material so water can reach it.
Officials had not determined what started the fire.