LAKEPORT, Calif. – Firefighters were able to prevent damage to a waste collection facility where a fire broke out on Thursday evening.

The fire was first reported just before 6 p.m. Thursday at the Lake County Waste Solutions transfer station, located at 230 Soda Bay Road.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison, who was among the first to arrive at the fire minutes after it was dispatched, said firefighters found a fire in a massive pile of garbage and recycling in the station's largest and newest building.

“We don't know what started it,” he said.

Firefighters started hitting the fire with water then switched to foam to knock it down, said Hutchison.

He estimated they had to use about 20,000 gallons of water, brought to the scene by water tenders because there are no hydrants in the area.

Soda Bay Road was closed temporarily so the water tenders could safely come and go. “It just made it easier for them to get in and out without having to deal with traffic,” said Hutchison.

Once the fire was under control, heavy equipment was brought in to break up the piles of garbage and recyclables, Hutchison said.

There had been a fire in the same building last September, as Lake County News has reported.

“There was no damage to the building itself this time,” said Hutchison, noting that while the fire this time was bigger, unlike the previous incident it wasn't up against the building's walls.

Lakeport Fire responded with three engines, a water truck and a water tender, Kelseyville Fire sent an engine and a water tender, and Northshore Fire provided a water tender and its support team, which assisted firefighters by refilling air bottles and helping with rehabilitation, Hutchison said.

About 20 firefighters – including volunteers – worked the incident, Hutchison said. There were no injuries.

The fire was under control just after 8:15 p.m., with the incident terminated shortly before 9 p.m., at which point firefighters handed the facility back over to staff, according to radio reports.

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