Dozens of firefighters are dealing with smoldering trash inside a Kennewick Waste Management station this evening.
Crews were called at 5 p.m. for reports of smoke coming from the Kennewick Transfer Station & Recycling Center at South Ely Street and 27th Avenue.
Waste Management trucks and Kennewick residents dump trash and yard waste at the facility, where it is compressed before being packed onto trailers and taken out of town to a landfill.
The smoldering trash has caused excessive smoke, making visibility bad inside the large metal building, according to Kennewick fire Capt. Joe Terpenning.
The heat has also created problems so crews cannot open the four large bay doors to release the smoke.
So until specific equipment arrives to open those doors, firefighters have cut triangles in them for ventilation and are using fans to push out the smoke, Terpenning said.
Firefighters from throughout the Mid-Columbia have been called for backup to wait at a nearby station in case of another emergency.
The incident has also attracted the attention of dozens of nearby residents and motorists, who've stopped to take pictures and watch.
Read Monday's Herald and tricityherald.com for more information.
