The underground fire is out, and the smoke has cleared, at an illegal dumpsite in Forestdale in Jefferson County.
That dumpsite has been the subject of an ongoing ABC 33/40 I-Team investigation. The underground fire at the illegal dump began May 29th. The I-Team started investigating in June. The fire department couldn’t put it out. The dumpsite operator hired his own crews. That didn’t work either.
Some residents moved out of their homes and stayed in apartments, or with relatives, during the underground fire.
In mid-August, Jefferson County crews were finally able to get on private property to start putting out the fire. That’s after dumpsite operator Anthony Clark pleaded guilty to three counts of littering.
County crews removed 24,000 tons of construction and demolition debris. And today, you see a large area prepped to grow groundcover. It’s quiet. And there’s no unhealthy smoke.