Fire at Willimantic Waste Paper Co. continues to burn

A fire that started the morning of Jan. 28 at Willimantic Waste Paper Co., Willimantic, Connecticut, has forced schools and roads to close, with firefighters anticipating it will take days to completely extinguish, according to a report in The Hartford Courant.

The destructive fire has been declared under control, the article reports, and it is not expected to spread any further, said Windham Fire Chief Marc Scrivener.

The fire started around 10:13 a.m. Sunday in a 50-ton stockpile of wood, plaster and construction debris at Willimantic Waste, a family-owned business that collects and processes waste, recyclables and construction debris in Tolland, Hartford, Middlesex, Windham and New London counties, according to the company’s website.

Officials told The Hartford Courant Monday morning that the company, which has 350 employees, will proceed with waste and recycling pickup as scheduled.

Nearly 200 firefighters spent hours Sunday battling the blaze, the article reports, which officials said went to four alarms. One firefighter had to be treated for exhaustion, and town schools, as well as Eastern Connecticut State University, closed for the day, the article reports.

Willimantic Waste Paper was one of more than 20 companies that purchased a single-ram, no-shear Bollegraaf baler from Van Dyk Recycling Solutions (VDRS), Stamford, Connecticut, in 2017, according to a list the company released in December 2017.