SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Spokane Valley Fire Department fought a fire at Sunshine Disposal on Tuesday morning. Callers to 9-1-1 reported 30-foot-high flames and that the entire garbage pile was on fire.
Firefighters fought the flames in single degree temperatures with wind chill temperatures being below zero. Firefighters say the bitter cold provided challenges when battling the fire. They say water froze near instantly which created slick conditions for personnel and also potential mechanical issues with fire engines and frozen hoses.
In a press release, firefighters said they used 10 vehicles using 3,000 gallons a minute of water to put the fire out. Firefighters used a loader to separate the trash on the dump floor while attacking the flames.
Resources from the Department of Ecology and Irvin Water District 6 were called to assist and evaluate any potential hazardous run-off of the 20,000 gallons of water that was used for fire control.
Firefighters say no one was injured in the blaze. They also are reminding the public not to put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. Separating and recycling batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, is the safest way to dispose of them.
WATCH RELATED: Up With KREM Headlines: Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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