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A Florida waste facility fire has been burning for nearly a week, forcing schools to close and officials urging residents to stay inside | CNN
A fire at a waste management facility in South Florida has continued burning for nearly a week, prompting officials in Miami-Dade County on Friday to close parks, dismiss two schools and urge residents near the waste-to-energy plant to stay indoors due to air quality concerns.
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Florida waste facility fire has been burning for nearly a week, forcing schools to close and officials urging residents to stay inside
By Melissa Alonso and Emma Tucker, CNN
Updated 7:23 AM EST, Sat February 18, 2023
Firefighters respond to a fire at a waste management facility in Doral, Florida.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
CNN —
A fire at a waste management facility in South Florida has continued burning for nearly a week, prompting officials in Miami-Dade County on Friday to close parks, dismiss two schools and urge residents near the waste-to-energy plant to stay indoors due to air quality concerns.
The fire that started Sunday at the Covanta Energy plant in Doral has has been burning in two structures at the facility, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a news briefing Friday. The mayor said officials are monitoring the fire to determine if the smoke from the blaze is toxic.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries have been reported.
The facility, operated by waste management company Covanta, diverts “waste from landfills to generate energy from the combustion of municipal solid waste,” its website says.
Miami-Dade County officials warned residents they "anticipate an increase in smoky conditions" from a fire at a waste-to-energy facility in Doral, Florida.
Miami-Dade County officials warned residents in a Friday update they “anticipate an increase in smoky conditions” as firefighters reach the center of the fire.
The county said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urged residents who live near the site to stay indoors on Friday, adding that young children, pregnant mothers, older adults and anyone with preexisting respiratory and cardiac conditions should take extra precautions, such as wearing a mask outdoors.
“Please keep your windows rolled up if you need to drive through the area, and run your air conditioning at home to re-circulate air in your house,” the county update said.
The county said in its update that the Doral Glades Park and the Doral Legacy Park were closing on Friday, and all outdoor activities scheduled in the city would be rescheduled.
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools said in a written statement that children at two schools in the district would be dismissed early due to air quality concerns.
