Holliston firefighters extinguish transfer station fire; front-end loader destroyed

Norman Miller, MetroWest Daily News
·1 min read

HOLLISTON — A fire destroyed a front-end loader this morning at a Washington Street transfer station, authorities said.

The front-end loader was a total loss, according to Fire Chief Michael Cassidy.

Firefighters responded at 9:16 a.m. to 115 Washington St. (Route 16) after a 911 call reporting a fire. The front-end loader was outside a municipal solid waste bay at Covanta, and it was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived, Cassidy said.

Firefighters in Holliston extinguished an equipment fire that occurred Monday morning at Covanta, a transfer station on Washington Street. No one was injured but a front-end loader estimated to be worth $500,000 was destroyed.
Firefighters in Holliston extinguished an equipment fire that occurred Monday morning at Covanta, a transfer station on Washington Street. No one was injured but a front-end loader estimated to be worth $500,000 was destroyed.

"Upon arrival, the first engine began fire suppression activities with an attack hose, while the ladder setup for aerial operations," Cassidy said.

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Firefighters from the engine contained the fire on the large piece of equipment, while the ladder truck was used to spray down any area hot spots to prevent the fire from spreading.

The Fire Department also put down containment booms to prevent any run off to a nearby catch basin and to filter any hydrocarbons from the runoff, Cassidy said.

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The fire did not spread to the building, although a portion of the entrance of the bay was left with soot covering it.

Firefighters in Holliston extinguished a fire Monday morning that destroyed a front-end loader at Covanta, a transfer station on Washington Street.
Firefighters in Holliston extinguished a fire Monday morning that destroyed a front-end loader at Covanta, a transfer station on Washington Street.

The front-end loader that was destroyed is valued at about $500,000, according to Cassidy.

No one was injured and the Fire Department cleared the scene by 10:50 a.m. The fire is under investigation.

Covanta, a Fortune 500 company based in Morristown, New Jersey, provides energy-from-waste and industrial waste management services.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Firefighters extinguish equipment fire at Covanta in Holliston