Iowa City Expects Landfill Fire to Burn into Next Week, Plus More Info

The fire affecting 7.5 acres of still at the Iowa City Landfill appears to be slowly abating, but the city still expects it to continue on into next week according to a Thursday city press release.

More info on the fire from the release:

• It is estimated that an equivalent of of nearly 1.3 million tires are burning in the 7.5 acre fire area.
• The city says safety continues to be its priority, and that trucks full of tires from nearby landfill cells were carried away so the fire could not spread further.
• The plan remains to let the fire burn itself out, but the Iowa City Fire Department is still investigating other methods to extinguish the blaze, consulting the United States Fire Administration, a part  of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency
• The city also says it is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to capture and contain the melted oil runoff from the tire rubber that is captured in the landfill drainage system.
• The Johnson County Health Department still recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to the plume of smoke, especially people with breathing problems, the very young and the elderly. Homes or businesses with central air should sufficiently filter out the particulates found in the smoke.
  
  

Contact Info for the American Lung Association

I received an e-mail this morning from the Micki Sandquist, executive director of the American Lung Association in Iowa, who said that the organization has received so many calls from Iowa City about the smoke that they wanted to pass their contact info along to everyone.

Residents with questions or concerns about their lung health in relation to smoke inhalation can call our Lung Helpline (1-800-LUNG-USA, 1-800-586-4872) and speak with a registered nurse or respiratory therapist free of charge.

Inhalation of particulate matter can cause wheezing, coughing & respiratory irritation as well as make it difficult to breathe for those with lung disease or trigger an asthma attack. The elderly, people with lung disease, infants, children & pregnant women are especially at risk and should take the proper precautions to prevent smoke inhalation.

For more information about your protecting your lung health, visit www.lungia.org.

The Landfill Fire Gets a Facebook Page

For continual updates on the Iowa City Landfill Fire you can visit an official Facebook page that has been set up by the city.