State of emergency declared as firefighters battle Park City recycling plant fire
Sedgwick County has declared a state of local disaster emergency as an uncontrolled fire continues to burn at Evergreen Recycle, 302 W. 53rd St. North in Park City.
The proclamation, issued by the County Commission on Monday afternoon, allows the county to access state emergency resources to combat the fire. The state of emergency will expire in a week.
No injuries or significant property damage have been reported as a result of the fire, which was first reported at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Brad Crisp, the fire marshal for Sedgwick County Fire District 1, said the fire jumped two protection lines and has traveled north with the wind toward businesses and homes.
On Monday afternoon, Crisp said a firebreak line has been set up 150 yards south of businesses to the north of the property. Firefighters are attempting to keep the fire away from a big stack of lumber that could “jeopardize the businesses” if set alight. Wind is expected to continue blowing the fire north on Tuesday.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
With the emergency declaration, Crisp said, they expect helicopters from the Air National Guard to assist tomorrow by strategically dropping water in places firefighters can’t reach.
“There is an incredible amount of heat that is being generated in there, so we can only get our apparatus and our personnel so close,” Crisp said.
Park City Administrator Dana Walden said she is confident the city has enough water supply to combat the fire.
Evergreen Recycle faced a similarly large fire in 2022 that caused $1 million in damage to wood products. That fire, which burned for a week, was found to be caused by spontaneous ignition of mulch and grass underneath wood piles.
Crisp said Evergreen has improved its access and fire safety since the 2022 fire, making the response easier.
“It’s actually better than it was two years ago,” Crisp said. “They’ve knocked the pile sizes down … We still have some access issues, but that’s a work in progress as well. And they’ve been really good to work with. The fire is in a different location from two years ago, but the sizes of the fires are about the same.”
As of Monday, eight fire units are deployed at Evergreen Recycle. Crisp said the firefighters are being rotated every four hours for rest and recovery.
The hot, dry and windy weather is making the fire response more difficult. In addition, Crisp said, the piles of wood at the facility, while regulation size, are large enough to produce more heat than water can put out.
“It’s just such a massive area,” Crisp said. “We’re talking 300 yards by 300 yards. We can’t put enough water on this fire to put it out. So we’re trying to get it at least contained.”
