LA wildfire burns near methane-filled landfill
LA wildfire burns near methane-filled landfill
13 October 2008
published by www.mercurynews.com
USA — Los Angeles sanitation officials are closely monitoring a wildfire’s proximity to a methane-filled defunct landfill in Lopez Canyon where two buildings and several cars have been burned.
City spokeswoman Janelle Erickson says the Fire Department has given clearance for officials to enter the landfill site to check on the highly explosive gas, which is pumped to a nearby power plant run by Minnesota Methane.
Erickson says the fire razed a 3,000 square-foot modular trailer, where some 100 employees work in operations and administration, around 2 a.m. Sunday and then part of a maintenance repair shop and several cars around 5:30 a.m. Monday.
The fire did not affect the gas collection and pumping system. She says if there is a problem, officials will activate a backup system that will ventilate the methane into the air to avoid a gas buildup and possible explosion.
