The Covanta Energy plant is located near the intersection of Northwest 74th Street and 97th Avenue and it has operated for four decades, using industrial waste to generate energy, which is sold for profit.
Two of the plant’s 11 buildings continued to burn February 12, down from the original four. Officials expect the fire to continue burning for “several days.”
“We believe that the fire may have originated from a conveyer belt that may have moved some of the trash that was on fire to other parts of the building,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said Feb. 12.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said crews have tested the air around the plant and haven’t found any toxic chemicals.
“We’re continuing to monitor air quality,” she said. “All tests that we are conducting have come back clear (and) there is no dangerous presence in the smoke.”
Two days later on Feb. 14, firefighters were seen dousing hot spots while the structure itself appears completely destroyed.
Authorities said over 100 firefighters have been working around the clock since Sunday afternoon.
Fire crews said at least two buildings remain burning and it’s been a challenge getting the fire under control.
“One building has two walls that are starting to cave in preventing us from accessing the building,” said Jadallah. The second building we have no access to get fire trucks or hose lines as a result of the warping metal and imminent collapse.”
Firefighters continue to hose down one of the massive buildings two days after they caught on fire.
The resources recovery facility has provided county-wide disposal needs for the past 40 years.
It is operated by Covanta, a private industrial waste company. It’s the only waste-to-energy facility in the county and it processes more than a million tons of waste annually.
Levine Cava urged people in the area to close the windows of both their homes and their cars to keep smoke out.
The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting its own testing in the area, she said.
Trash that normally comes to the Doral energy plant has been rerouted to other facilities and the air quality continues to undergo monitoring.