Limited access to water prevents firefighters from battling massive fire at Joliet landfill

JOLIET, IL. – A massive fire broke out Friday afternoon at the Joliet landfill, where firefighters were facing problems due to a lack of water.

The incident was reported around 2:17 p.m. at the BL Duke – Joliet public scrap metal recycling site located at 2 Genstar Lane.

Firefighters said a large pile of scrap metal containing metal, wood and possibly some plastic caught fire. No hazardous materials were used.

According to officials, several nearby buildings containing flammable liquids were initially at risk of fire. The fire also did not affect air quality.

Firefighters said the fire was considered “contained” around 5 p.m., but Lockport County Fire Rescue District firefighters were still on the scene. Firefighters expect the fire to burn for hours or even days.

“Our biggest challenge is that we have very little water here, so we’re working to secure a water supply that will help us get it out faster,” said Victor Stachelski, Joliet Fire Chief. “There’s only one hydrant there. “We’re trying to coordinate with some of the local fire departments that actually have to use tanker trucks.”

Stachelski said it is too early to know exactly how the fire started and it may be difficult to ever pinpoint the cause.

“It could have been some hot equipment, or maybe they put something in the pile that they didn’t realize was there at the time,” Stachelski said. “The chances that we’ll figure out exactly what caused this are probably pretty slim.”

BL Duke issued a statement regarding the fire, thanking all agencies that responded.

“Earlier today there was a fire at our landfill in Joliet. We are relieved to report that no one was injured and all team members were evacuated safely. We want to thank the fire department and first responders for their quick action. “It was their efforts to contain and extinguish the fire to prevent further impacts, and we are grateful for their dedication.”

Firefighters were still battling the blaze Friday evening.

The Joliet Fire Department, Lockport Township Fire Protection District and several other agencies are responding to the fire.

We will add more updates as they become available.