Crews fight ‘massive landfill fire’ in the Lowcountry

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) — Fire crews responded to a massive landfill fire Tuesday evening.

Units with Dorchester County Fire Rescue and Berkeley County Fire Service are fighting a fire off of Harrison Road at the Carolina Landfill site, DCFR reported.

Officials asked residents to stay clear of the area in a social media post.

Dorchester County Fire Chief Tres Atkinson said the landfill is full of combustible material, which contributed to the fire’s growth, and the way the material is piled is contributing to debris in the area.

Firefighters are currently trying to smother the flames which Atkinson estimated to take around 24 hours. Firefighters initially responded to the fire around 6 p.m.

“This will be an ongoing process for probably the next 24 hours; we will monitor it, keep putting water on it, keep working with the landfill personnel… and hopefully by sometime tomorrow afternoon, it will clear up enough that they (landfill personnel) can handle it on their own,” said Atkinson.

He also said that the department averages two or three fires similar to the current one at landfills per year due to the nature of the landfill itself.

While many crews from Dorchester County are working to extinguish the landfill fire, crews from North Charleston, Charleston, and Summerville are assisting Dorchester County in their coverage areas.

Atkinson said smoke from the fire is the most significant hazard for citizens, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office is assisting in monitoring the smoke.

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