MARQUETTE COUNTY, Mich. (WJMN) – Firefighters from four different companies battled flames at the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority Landfill on Thursday.
The first call came in at 5:47 a.m. Thursday morning. Sands Township firefighters were the first on the scene. They are being assisted by Chocolay, Negaunee, and Marquette firefighters.
When we called Central Dispatch, they tell us no one was hurt. They are unsure of what exactly is on fire or where it started. They can tell us no one in the surrounding area is being evacuated and there are no immediate health concerns.
When our crew arrived on the scene just before 10 a.m. flames were still visible from a distance and large plumes of smoke filled the air.
The Salvation Army was also assisting to help keep firefighters warm and fed.
“We got here right after the fire started,” Doug Winters, Captain, Marquette County Salvation Army.
“We got the call at 7:30 this morning and we were able to deploy right away and get out here. The fire is significantly down from where it was earlier this morning. Just a lot of units, a lot of firemen and firewomen helping out today.”
We were able to speak with a representative of the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority. They tell us a small structure was damaged during the fire. They had not identified exactly where or how the flames originated.
“With the size of this and the amount of area, there’s obvious some investigating that we have to do to make a determination,” said Brad Austin, Director of Operation at the Marquette County Solid Waste Authority.
“But it just hammers home the point again to make sure that you have household items, make sure we get them into the right programs, recycling programs, or material management programs. It’s important.”
Firefighters will remain on scene for hours in case flames start again. Bulldozers and other heavy equipment were being used to smother the remaining embers
