WHITEWATER, Wis. — Firefighters are still at the scene of the John’s Disposal Services facility in Whitewater, where a humongous blaze consumed recyclable material and partially collapsed the structure on Sunday night into Monday morning.
According to Joe Uselding, the Second Assistant Fire Chief of Whitewater, Wisconsin, crews remain on the scene to observe the burnout. Because the building is partially collapsed, fire crews are unable to safely or effectively enter their building right now to deal with hotspots. Authorities confirmed that smoldering will take place over several days, during which they will be stationed in the area to observe and prevent flare-ups.
Their efforts began around 9:51 p.m. on Jan. 9, when Whitewater firefighters and police officers were dispatched to the garbage/recycling collection service’s plant on the 100-block of County Road U. It was clear upon arrival that this was a fully-involved blaze that would require a wide-scale firefighting response.
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None of the employees were present at the time of blaze, Whitewater fire leaders confirmed. No injures to community members or firefighters have been reported.
However, the unstable nature of the building is currently an issue to keep track of, so while there isn’t any present danger to Whitewater community members, fire officials ask that commuters avoid County Highway U for the time being.
Leaders from John’s Disposal told local authorities that trash/recycling pickup in and around Whitewater should not be impacted by this issue.
Uselding told media members on Monday afternoon that the Whitewater Fire Department estimates the cost of damages will reach the millions. Right now, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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