Fire at Sidney landfill extinguished without incident

A fire that broke out at the Sidney landfill on Monday afternoon was quickly extinguished without injury or damage to equipment.

"The only thing we can think of is we got some hot ashes," Sidney Solid Waste Superintendent Rob Campbell said.

The fire broke out in a bale pit, he said.

"We were able to dig through it, and with the dozer and equipment, get down to it and pull it out," Campbell explained, "and then the fire department sprayed some water on it."

It took about an hour to extinguish the fire and clean up the area.

Campbell said it's been years since a similar incident occurred.

"I can't even remember the last time – 3, 4, 5 years maybe," he said.

He said Monday's fire is an example of why fireplace ashes should not be dumped into garbage bins until they are completely cooled.

"Let your fireplace ashes cool for several weeks," he said.

The landfill also maintains a separate burn pile where ashes can be safely dumped, Campbell said.