Firefighters extinguish significant fire at recycling facility in Wisconsin after over 20 hours

(MENAFN) Firefighters successfully extinguished a significant fire at a recycling facility in western Wisconsin after battling the flames for over 20 hours. The blaze erupted at Omaha Track, located in the town of Campbell on French Island, near La Crosse, around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The facility, which processes scrap railway ties and other materials into biofuel chips, experienced a massive inferno, with flames and smoke visible from several miles away.

According to Campbell Fire Chief Nate Melby, the fire consumed approximately four football fields' worth of railway ties and a towering mound of chips reaching 30 feet (9.14 meters) in height. Multiple fire departments joined forces to combat the fire throughout the day, finally bringing it under control around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and residents were not required to evacuate or shelter in place due to the fire; a north wind helped to direct the smoke away from populated areas.

Melby described the incident as a "very large fire with a lot of fuel," but emphasized the collaborative effort among various agencies that helped manage the situation without any injuries. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. This incident is reminiscent of a similar fire at Omaha Track in 2015, when a woodchipper caught fire, resulting in the release of toxins that required residents to shelter in place.

Omaha Track spokesperson Jillianne Gates stated in an email to The Associated Press that the company will not speculate on the cause of the fire until the investigation concludes. She reiterated that their priority remains the safety of employees, the surrounding community, and the environment as they navigate through this incident.

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