Spokane ValleySaturday, November 7
Two fires in two days shut the Valley Transfer Station, which has since reopened
The Good Day Post Falls team
If you haul your own trash around Spokane County, take note. Two fires in two days hit the Valley Transfer Station at 3941 N. Sullivan Road. Employees reported hearing multiple explosions before a fire broke out in a compactor Thursday morning. A second fire was put out quickly Friday morning.
The fires came a day apart, and the station has reopened
- Nov. 5Employees hear explosions, and a fire starts in a compactor.
- Nov. 6A second fire is reported in the morning and quickly put out.
- Nov. 6The station is reported reopened by 4:12 p.m.
Sources: The Spokesman-Review, KXLY.com, NonStop Local KHQ
Investigators linked the fires to a chemical reaction involving explosives and wiring thrown out with regular trash. Operations manager Quinn Gonder said a pressurized container under a 40,000-pound loader "becomes an incendiary device or a bomb essentially." Got chemicals, batteries or anything that recharges? We suggest asking staff where it goes before it hits the floor.
- Limit: 15 gallons of hazardous materials per trip
- Free household hazardous waste drop-off: seven days a week
- Keep light bulbs and batteries off the tipping floor
- Accepted: car batteries, paint and propane tanks
Three Spokane County sites take hazardous waste
| Site | Address |
|---|---|
| Valley Transfer Station | 3941 N. Sullivan Road |
| North County Transfer Station | 22123 N. Elk-Chattaroy Road, Colbert |
| Spokane Waste-to-Energy | 2900 S. Geiger Road |
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Sources: The Spokesman-Review, KXLY.com, NonStop Local KHQ