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West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt announced on Monday, Oct. 19, around noon that the fire that began on Friday had been put out.
A three-alarm fire broke out at the landfill at the wastewater treatment facility known a Bondi’s Island around 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15.
It was a difficult fire to tame, firefighters noted, due to a lack of water at the top of the landfill, large debris (such as tree limbs and stumps as well as other yard waste), and high winds that kept spreading the flames.
Firefighters were able to get the fire under control the same day it started but needed heavy equipment and a 12-truck water pump relay to fully extinguish the blaze. For days firefighters broke up chunks of smoldering waste to out the fire out.
The cause of the fire is presumed to be spontaneous combustion, according to Masslive. This can happen in dense areas where materials are decomposing.
The fire produced thick, brown-gray smoke that covered parts of downtown Springfield and West Springfield in smog.
Bondi’s is located off Route 5 in Agawam near the West Springfield town line. Both fire departments responded to the blaze as well as teams from many area departments, according to Agawam Police.
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