A fire at a privately owned landfill in Lee County’s Egypt community spread out of control Monday afternoon, causing the evacuation of nearby residents. Susan Benesh, spokesperson for the American Red Cross, said they set up shelters for approximately 50 evacuees.
Benesh was on the scene and had the following comment. “There was a fire in a clay-lined pit on private property that had at some point caught on fire. The contents of that fire and pit were unknown. The bigger issue was the air quality in the immediately area surrounding, and the air quality certainly had a very acrid odor.”
The fire started about 3 p.m., and about 25 fire trucks from Lee, Kershaw, Darlington and Sumter counties fought the blaze for three hours and used 160,000 gallons of water and were unable to extinguish the flames. Lt. Brandon Holloman of the Lee County Fire Department said the landfill, thought to be illegal, covered more than 2 acres and was filled with household garbage, commercial and industrial waste.
Holloman said officials plan to let it burn out. DHEC is investigating.
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