Tooele residents cautioned to stay indoors due to ‘unsafe’ air quality from landfill fire

UPDATE: Officials say it is now safe to be outdoors and high school football games will go as planned.

TOOELE COUNTY, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Students in Tooele County are staying indoors for recess after county health officials reported “unsafe” air quality Wednesday due to a local landfill fire.

According to the Tooele County School District , students in all schools across Tooele Valley are being kept indoors as a precaution due to smoke from the landfill fire. The district is unsure at this time if the air quality will affect football games this evening and will provide updates as new information becomes available.

The Tooele County Health Department issued a public health notice Wednesday morning saying a fire at the Tooele County landfill near 2800 South Bauer Road is “causing poor air quality in the surrounding areas.”

“The smoke from this fire could cause unsafe concentrations of particulates. As a precautionary measure we are asking the public to avoid all physical activity outdoors,” the announcement said.

Health officials also cautioned those sensitive to poor air quality to be especially aware of the current conditions and remain indoors with low activity levels. They also said to keep indoor particle levels low as much as possible.

The fire ignited around 9:30 a.m. as an employee compacted trash into a landfill pit, according to Brittany Lopez, the assistant county manager. Several fire departments arrived at the scene and spent multiple hours extinguishing the flames and applying dirt to smother the embers.

Sorina Trauntvein contributed to reporting.

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