Stretching into its fourth day, the fire at a Doral incinerator plant continued to burn Thursday as Miami-Dade County officials again stressed that there was no immediate pollutant threat for neighboring residents.
County officials said that although the fire was still burning, it was contained as of Wednesday. A cause has yet to be determined.
Residents who live near Covanta Energy have expressed widespread concern over possible health risks brought on by what was initially a three-alarm blaze.
District 13 County Commissioner René Garcia told WLRN federal officials with the Environmental Protection Agency will “continuously test” air quality to monitor for signs of potentially harmful toxins that may be carried with smoke plumes.
“They've yet to find any ailments in the air that could cause any illnesses,” Garcia said.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said in a news conference Thursday that emergency officials were focused on continued extinguishing efforts, an eventual partial demolition of the facility’s Southeast building, and shuttling any trash that could end up caught in the fire’s crosshairs.
Meanwhile, the trash typically deposited at the site — which takes in roughly half of the county’s garbage from over 300,000 homes — was still being diverted to nearby landfills.
Some have wondered whether damage to the facility would lead to emissions of foul trash-related odors. Speaking to WLRN, Commissioner Garcia said that has not been an issue in the past but did not reject this possibility.
“[The plant]'s been there before the community was there,” he said. “The community built up around it, and this is why I tell you, you know, ‘buyer beware.’”
