FEMA Debris Burns

Huge clouds of black smoke filled the sky on Monday as firefighters from three departments battled a fire in the FEMA Debris pile near the Jackson Wal-Mart.

Flames and smoke were seen coming from the large piles of debris stored at the county’s dumpsite shortly after 8:00 a.m. on April 21.  Fire crews responded to the scene and found the fire burning in five separate spots among the trash and household debris.

Crews quickly used all the water on their trucks to slow the progress, but soon realized that the blaze would require more resources.  With no fire hydrants nearby, the Jackson Fire Department issued a second alarm, calling for additional support from two local fire departments with tanker trucks.  The Vancleve Fire Department arrived with two tanker trucks, and Watts-Caney brought one tanker to haul water to support Jackson Fire suppression efforts.

The fire departments used a bulldozer to move some debris and to prevent flames from reaching a large pile of wood and a stack of railroad ties.

By Wednesday morning, smoke still poured from the piles of debris on the site. 

The debris has been hauled to the location following the recent rounds of flooding.  The debris would have been removed and disposed of legally, and the county reimbursed.  County FEMA officials feared that the county would now be saddled with the entire cost of removing the burned remains.

“This could cost us thousands of dollars to clean up,” a county official said on Monday as several stood and watched the piles burn.  “We must determine how much was burned and see what we can do with it now.”

With little effect, fire crews dumped thousands of gallons of water on the fire.  They isolated the flames and secured the site using a dozer to separate the burning piles from the other debris.  The Kentucky Department of Highways District 10 Office posted signs near the area south of Jackson, warning drivers of the possibility of smoke on the roadway and urging caution in the area.     

The fire is expected to burn for several days, and fire crews continue to monitor the area.

The debris site stopped accepting debris and closed on Friday, April 18.  Officials have not identified the cause of the blaze, but, based on the numerous fires found, said that it was “suspicious in nature.”