Landfill salvages metal after massive fire

Officials are finding a silver lining from a fire that roared through part of the county landfill for nearly six hours on Sunday.

Though intense flames and smoke rose from a huge appliance pile, the Flathead County Solid Waste facility might not be at a total loss.

“It looks like all the metals will be salvageable, so that’s a good thing,” said Jim Chilton, the landfill operations manager.

The county relies on metal salvage as a source of revenue. 

On Monday, workers were sifting through the torched pile of washing machines, lawnmowers and other appliances in the massive pile. Chilton said the landfill had up to 900 tons of material there and about half of it burned on Sunday.

A water tanker was on standby during the cleanup effort, but it was dismissed at midmorning Monday.

“For the most part, it’s pretty uneventful today,” Chilton said. “It’s mostly in the cleaning process.”

Things were a bit more eventful Sunday afternoon when the giant mound caught fire. Flames rose 20 feet or more into the air and a thick column of black smoke could be seen for miles.

Onlookers streamed in to view the fire, which choked traffic on U.S. 93 between Whitefish and Kalispell.

Firefighters also descended on the scene in large numbers. Seven departments assisted, and their tankers moved in and out constantly to refill their reservoirs. The fire burned until shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday.

It’s still unknown what caused the fire, but the intensity made for a lengthy battle.

Chilton said that there was plenty of flammable material among the pile. 

“You’ve got insulation off the appliances, and you have all sorts of rubber stuff in there,” he said.

Various paints, enamels and electrical parts also may have fueled the fire, according to Chilton.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.