Imperial Valley: Wood Chip pile fire allowed to burn out

IMPERIAL — Firefighters will continuously monitor the wood-chip fire at Keystone Road and Highway 111 northeast of here, but there is little more they can do aside from letting it burn out, fire officials said Sunday.

“It’s going to take awhile,” said Imperial County fire Capt. John Green.

The fire started Saturday afternoon among piles of wood chips at the Imperial Valley Resource Recovery LLC. The facility burns wood chips and other green waste from local landfills. Piles of the waste are stored outside the facility, and one of those piles had caught fire. Officials still don’t know what started the blaze.

Crews worked through Saturday night to isolate the burning piles from the rest of the waste and are now monitoring to ensure the fire doesn’t spread. Green said the situation was similar to haystack fires, where the interior of the wood piles can smolder for days.

“If we put more water on it, it will just keep smoldering,” Green said.

He said he did not know how long the fire will continue burning.

An east-blowing wind sent thick clouds of smoke across Highway 111 through Saturday afternoon and night, reducing visibility and leading to a closure by California Highway Patrol. By Sunday morning one lane in each direction had been re-opened and by about 3:15 the highway was fully opened.

A Highway Patrol officer said as long as smoke stays off the highway, it will remain open.

Source: ivpressonline.com- Link