Don't Flirt with Fire — Preventing Landfill Fires and How They Differ from Other Fires

Landfill fires are far too common. They differ from other fires because landfills have:

• An unknown mix and composition of materials
• Hazardous and/or toxic waste
• Unknown depth and age of waste
• Large, exposed surface areas and preferential underground pathways for fires to burn and travel
• Presence of landfill gas (methane)
• Unstable surfaces and slopes
• Multiple agencies and involved

Fires can be caused by materials and circumstances that face landfills every day including hot loads, air intrusion, chemical reactions, equipment fires, environmental factors, batteries, and spontaneous combustions. This presentation will help waste management professionals (and fire professionals) to better understand the challenges and impacts of landfill fires and the opportunities to reduce the likelihood of a fire through improved landfill operations. It will also provide a high-level overview of the different types and causes of landfill fires, identify tools and best management practices for preventing fires, and touch on firefighting methods for landfills.

About the Speaker

Sheri Praski
Executive Director | SWANA Northern Lights Chapter

Sheri Praski is a Civil Engineer from Saskatchewan, Canada with over 25 years of experience in the environmental area. Sheri currently works as an independent environmental consultant on projects related to waste, recycling and environment. As Executive Director of the Solid Waste Association of North America Northern Lights Chapter (SWANA NLC), Ms. Praski oversees education delivery, certification and program creation for the waste and recycling industry. Sheri currently serves on the International Advisory Board of the Solid Waste Association of North America, is a board liaison with the Recycling Council of Alberta, and a past Chair of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council and volunteers for various other boards and committees. Sheri helped design and build an energy efficient home in 2005 which used about a third of the energy and water of a traditional house (and all electricity from solar), drove hybrid cars for 17 years and now has almost 5 years of experience with an all-electric vehicle.