Local firefighters and county workers credited for containing recycling-center fire at county landfill

A representative speaking during public comment recounted a Nov. 28 structure fire at the Lycoming County landfill recycling building and urged the commissioners to acknowledge county employees who responded.

The speaker — identifying himself as chief of the Clinton Township Department (name not provided in the transcript) — said county employees discovered and fought the fire prior to the arrival of local fire departments. He described equipment operators and mechanics using front-end loaders and the landfill’s water truck to remove burning material and douse hot spots; nine county employees were evaluated at Munson Valley Hospital for smoke inhalation and mild symptoms, the speaker said.

The chief characterized the site's fire-protection system as inadequate for the building’s fire load, reported that this was the fifth fire at the Lycoming County Resource Management Services facility this year and said many incidents had been linked to lithium-ion batteries being present in recycling streams. He said the quick actions by county employees probably saved the recycling operation from catastrophic loss and asked that the commissioners formally recognize the staff.

Commissioners thanked the speaker and members of the public later posted online praise for the landfill crew in the meeting’s comments feed.