A fire that broke out at the Orrington trash plant on Tuesday evening and blanketed surrounding towns in a plume of smoke is expected to continue for several days.
Firefighters are still at the scene battling the blaze that broke out on the tipping floor of the Eagle Point Energy Center, formerly known as the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. The cause of the fire is disputed and will likely never be known.
But the biggest questions concern the safety of residents of Orrington and nearby towns as environmental agencies begin to assess the air quality in the wake of the ongoing fire.
Here is everything we know about the blaze, the efforts to extinguish it and the environmental concerns.
When did the fire start?
The fire at EPEC broke out at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Orrington Assistant Fire Chief Chad Bean. The initial call reporting the fire came from a sighting across the Penobscot River, according to a firefighter from the Brewer Fire Department.
Where is the fire located in the facility?
By the time firefighters arrived Tuesday night, the flames had spread through the tipping floor — where the trash is collected and sorted — and were rising through the 200-by-400-foot roof of the building, Bean said. Roughly 8,000 tons of trash filled the incinerator at the time the fire broke out.
What is the cause of the fire?
The owners of the facility said they believe it was caused by a lithium-ion battery. However, Orrington Fire Chief Scott Stewart and the former plant manager both said Wednesday that they doubt that was the cause.
The cause of the fire will likely never be known because of the extent of damage, Stewart said.
How many firefighters have responded?
Around 45 firefighters from Bangor, Brewer, Bucksport, Dedham, Eddington, Hampden, Holden, Levant and Orrington were at the fire overnight Tuesday. The 20-person volunteer fire department in Orrington is continuing the firefighting efforts for the coming days.
When will the fire be put out?
It is unclear when the fire will be out but it will likely take days. Numerous government agencies and the company that owns the facility are working on a plan to address the fire. It will likely include ensuring the building is safe to enter and then dismantling the trash pile.
Are the fumes from the fire dangerous?
No specific human health or air quality impacts are known at this time, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday morning. Officials from the DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency arrived on the scene Wednesday and were expected to set up air monitoring equipment, the Brewer Police Department said following a multi-agency meeting.
Results from the air monitoring are not expected until Thursday, Stewart said.
How should people near the fire protect themselves from the smoke?
Orrington residents should stay inside, keep their windows closed and turn off air conditioners. People in neighboring towns should consider doing the same, especially as wind patterns shift.
Schools in Orrington, Bucksport and Hampden held indoor recesses on Wednesday; Bangor and Brewer schools held outdoor recesses but will monitor wind patterns in the coming days and switch to indoor recesses if needed.
Have there been previous fires at the trash plant?
A trash pile spontaneously combusted in November, and there were multiple fires reported in 2022, both from improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries and damaged wiring.
This is one of the larger fires the facility has seen, Stewart said.
How does the fire affect the center’s planned reopening timeline?
EPEC purchased the facility in March, and in August announced that it had applied for a transfer station permit from the DEP to allow it to begin accepting waste. It is unclear what the fire means for the timeline.
