- Author
- TriData Corporation
- Title
- Landfill Fires: Their Magnitude, Characteristics, and Mitigation.
- Coporate
- TriData Corp., Arlington, VA
- Sponsor
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC
- Report
- FA-225, May 2002, 31 p.
- Keywords
- landfills | extinguishing | statistical analysis | fire prevention | case histories | regulations | wind effects | weather effects | water supply | environmental effects | health hazards | methane
- Identifiers
- Finland; Canada; Hawaii
- Abstract
- Landfills can be controversial in and of themselves. Homeowners and business owners tend not to support the siting and development of landfills in their neighborhoods due to perceived notions about noxious fumes, health and environmental effects, and adverse influences on property values. Fires occurring in landfill sites are an ongoing, complex problem that has existed for decades. Although relatively uncommon, fires in landfills generally receive substantial media attention and have the potential to become politically damaging events. Landfill fires threaten the environment through toxic pollutants emitted into the air, water, and soil. Landfill fires are particularly challenging to the fire service. A large landfill fire normally requires numerous personnel and a significant period of time before it is contained. Both of these circumstances can strain a jurisdiction, particularly one dependent on volunteer staffing. Landfill operators, members of the fire service, and community residents need to learn as much as possible from past experience to prevent and mitigate future landfill fires. This report was prepared by TriData Corporation, Arlington, Virginia, under contract to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), National Fire Data Center. It presents an overview of the landfill fire problem. Issues examined include the landfill components that create fire hazards; the effect of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and landfill cleanup efforts; a profile of landfill fires including their characteristics, methods of extinguishing, and safety issues for firefighters; prevention efforts to reduce landfill fires; and past examples of significant landfill fires and lessons.