Officials with the capital city and the St. John’s Regional Fire Department are asking residents not to dispose of household hazardous waste in the regular garbage.
This after 31 fires at the city’s landfill site since January of 2019.
A picture from a fire at the landfill last April.
Dean Foley, Acting Deputy Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, says three of the fires were so serious that firefighters had to be called in. That creates a serious safety hazard for firefighters and staff at the landfill. He was the Platoon Chief on duty when the St. John’s Regional Fire Department was called out to a major fire at the landfill in the early morning hours of April 7th.
Officials say most of those fires were caused by the improper disposal of household hazardous waste, including lithium batteries, marine flares and household chemicals, like those used to keep pools clean. The April fire says Foley presented great safety hazards to the firefighters and heavy equipment operators working that night.
