A rubbish fire at the Cumberland County Landfill has been extinguished and the landfill has reopened, county officials said Wednesday.
The fire generated a large amount of smoke that is covering east Fayetteville, including downtown, fire officials said. People with respiratory issues are encouraged to avoid the area.
Landfill employees used a 2,000-gallon self-contained water cannon pulled by a bulldozer to contain the fire. Once the fire was out, they then used heavy equipment to cover the area with topsoil, county officials said in a release.
“I greatly appreciate the employees who responded quickly and efficiently to extinguish the fire,” said Solid Waste Director Amanda Bader. “Although the cause of this fire has not been determined, lithium batteries found in many electronics are historically known to cause fires in garbage trucks, landfills and recycling facilities.”
The fire was reported just after 6:30 a.m. at the landfill on Ann Street. Fire crews found a large pile of rubbish on fire outside the landfill.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
