MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — A fire at a landfill in Medical Lake has been burning for over a year, with fire crews attempting to extinguish it since it started in August 2023.
“Fire District 3 went out and tried to suppress the fire with trucks and water, but as time went on, we realized our efforts wouldn’t succeed without more equipment,” said Bill Dennstaedt, Deputy Fire Chief.
According to Dennstaedt, they would need more equipment to dig down into the landfill to figure out what is still burning.
The Department of Ecology reports that the landfill is filled with concrete, tiles, and other debris.
“There might be something else in there that is allowing it to smolder over this amount of time; it is sort of unclear,” said Kristin Beck, site manager at the Department of Ecology.
The cleanup plan and a public comment form are available on the Department of Ecology’s website.
Beck indicated that if no changes are needed after the 30-day public comment period, the Department of Ecology can begin work to extinguish the fire.
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