Public Radio for Alaska's Bristol Bay

Dillingham Landfill metal pile still smolders nearly a week after ignition

Smoke from the Dillingham Landfill fire taken Friday, June 3.
Angie and Bernie Venua

The fire at the Dillingham Landfill metal pile is still smoldering, according to Fire Department Coordinator Scott Runzo. The fire is fully contained, however spilled fuels and metal underground from decades of vehicles, boats and other items left in the junkyard continue to burn.

Runzo says it will likely continue to smolder until Dillingham sees a significant amount of rain.

The Dillingham Fire Department says the situation is being monitored. The landfill’s metal pile will be closed until the smolders are out.

Contact the author at Brian@kdlg.org or by calling (907) 842-2200

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Brian Venua grew up in Dillingham and attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. He got his start in journalism at KDLG in 2020, interviewing and writing for the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report and signed on as a full-time host and reporter later that year.