N.C. Recycling Center Fire Belches Black Smoke

Oct. 16--CLYDE -- Firefighters from across the county rushed to the county's Materials Recovery Facility just off Jones Cove Road at about 5 p.m. Sunday to combat the heavy black smoke billowing from the tipping floor area of the recycling center.

Junaluska Fire Chief Chuck Wood said two crews of three firefighters wearing air packs took turns entering the building area to comb through the layers of garbage that were still smoldering and wet them down.

"We didn't see any flames," Wood said. "The first crews that arrived saw heavy black smoke coming from the building where the fire was contained."

Fumes from burning plastic are dangerous, Wood said, which is why crews rotated in and out, with none staying in very long. One county employee who was assisting with fire control was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but the individual's name was not available Sunday.

Wood said he did not suspect foul play, but said once the smoke and fire danger was under control, the fire marshal's office personnel would investigate, and request help from the State Bureau of Investigation if there was anything suspicious found.

Greg Shuping, Haywood County Emergency Management director, used a hand-held gas monitor to determine whether the air quality was safe at the scene. A carbon dioxide level of up to 50 is fine, he said, noting that early on, the level near the building entrance where the fire erupted was 122. About 50 feet away from the building where those not equipped with air packs were monitoring the scene, the level was at zero by 7 p.m. The monitor showed the percentage of oxygen in the air was at a safe level of 20.9 percent, though near the building door where the smoke still billowed out, it decreased to 18 percent, a level that made safety precautions necessary.

The Lake Logan Fire Department had its portable cascade system set up near the Head Start building down the road where oxygen bottles were being filled.

"We were filling them down there because we wanted to have clear air to fill the tanks with," Wood said.

Stephen King, the county's solid waste director, said there was only about two loads of blue bag material on the floor when the fire started, which helped ensure the fire was contained to a small portion of the building.

"There will be a fire watch all night, and we'll be up and running as usual tomorrow morning," King said late Sunday. "We don't shut down for anything. We keep things going no matter what. We'll shift things around and make it work."

King said many department employees came in to move trucks out of the way and help where they could. A CWS driver even came from Asheville in case he could assist.

"Everybody pulled together and pitched in," he said, praising the quick response from emergency departments on the scene.

Departments assisting Junaluska at the scene included Clyde, Waynesville, Crabtree, Lake Logan, North Canton, the Rescue Squad and EMS.