Ridgefield tire fire a challenge for firefighters
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. - Hundreds of semitrailer tires caught fire north of Vancouver early Thursday afternoon, sending thick, black smoke into the air.
The fire was at Tri-Mountain Transport, located at 2305 N.E. 209th in Ridgefield. It started just before 1:30 p.m.
According to Clark County Fire & Rescue, the tires were burning in a 50-foot area and posed a problem for responding crews.
"If we attack it with water, we risk polluting the nearby stream," said Tim Dawdy with Clark County Fire & Rescue. "If we let it burn, the air is polluted. So we've got people called from Southwest Washington Clean Air and the Department of Ecology to figure out what to do. In the meantime, while we're negotiating, we'll put foam on the fire."
In the end, firefighters decided the best option was to blast it with water and knock down the flames. It appeared to be mostly out at about 4 p.m. with the tires just smoldering.
There were no injuries.
Video Courtesy Clark County Fire & Rescue
Burning rubber, these kind of fires are very difficult to put out...really stinks, is toxic.
They have a bad habit of firing back up when you think you've put it out..
I'm not sure, a firefighter would know, but I think it might take a combination of certain types of chemicals to get it extinguished.