Fires at composting facilities: causes and conditions

Article Abstract:

It is fairly common for a compost plant to experience a fire, but most fires are not sufficiently frequent or damaging to attract much publicity. Organic materials that are generally composted or recycled contain chemical energy, and can therefore supply fuel for a fire. One of the more common causes of fires is spontaneous combustion, which is hard to recognize and control. Other potential causes of fires at composting facilities including heat from equipment, lightning strikes and sparks from welding activities.

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Fire destroys Hartford in-vessel composting facility

Article Abstract:

It is believed that the fire which destroyed a $27 million biosolids composting plant in Hartford, CT, in Nov 1999 was caused by spontaneous combustion. This may have resulted from drying of materials due to extended storage. The facility, which used the American Bio Tech system, had 20 fibreglass composting cells, with the composting feedstocks being aerated by 48 air lances, each 16 ft long. At the time of the fire, 16 vessels contained an estimated 30,000 cu yards of material.

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Fires at composting facilities: handling and extinguishing fires

Article Abstract:

Fires are not uncommon in the composting industry but there are no official guidelines on how to handle them. Operators must rely on common sense and experience. Guidelines on handling and extinguishing fires at composting facilities are presented, focusing on management and prevention.

Equipment and supplies, Fire prevention, Waste disposal sites

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