Landfill Fire Burns For 4th Day In A Row In Rice County

DUNDAS, MN — A fire that broke out at the Rice County Sanitary Landfill in Dundas on Monday afternoon is now on its fourth day of burning, and Northfield Fire Chief Tom Nelson is asking for help from the state to bring the fire under control, according to KARE11.

The fire is now about the size of a football field and burning 30 feet deep, the outlet reported.

According to the Rice County Sheriff’s Office, the fire was first reported just before 5 p.m. Monday at the landfill, which is located midway between Northfield and Faribault off Highway 3, KSTP reported.

Faribault Fire Chief Dustin Dienst told KARE11 that there is not a solid plan to fight fires like these due to their rarity and that while water will help, they will mostly have to wait until there's so little oxygen that the fire puts itself out.

"The fact that there's a lot of smoke and not flashing lights and firefighters and water flowing all over doesn't mean we are not doing anything," Dienst told the outlet. "We are definitely open to anybody that would have some experience in helping us as a county and fire departments take care of this."

Rice County Public Health added in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

"But work is ongoing to mitigate any and all issues within the county’s control," the department said. "As issues and concerns surrounding the fire at the Rice County landfill continue to be assessed, county officials wanted to provide an update and address certain questions and concerns that may have arisen."

The department added that landfill fires can pose several hazards to both human health and the environment.

The smoke and ash generated can contain particulate matter, which can cause respiratory issues, especially for individuals with pre-existing conditions, officials said. In addition, there are existing air quality issues in southern Minnesota related to the Canadian wildfires, which caused the National Weather Service to issue a level orange air quality alert for May 23.

"People should take precautions when the air quality is unhealthy," the department wrote. "If possible, stay away from local sources of air pollution, limit or postpone physical activity and stay indoors. Anyone with asthma or other respiratory conditions like COPD should make sure they have their rescue or relief inhalers with them."