‘Long-term fire’: Blaze at Miami-Dade waste-to-energy plant burning for a second day

Firefighters on Monday continued to battle a stubborn blaze at a waste-to-energy plant in Doral. The fire started Sunday and it may take days to extinguish, according to authorities.

Four of 11 buildings at Covanta Energy, 6990 NW 97th Ave., a county-owned facility that specializes in burning waste to produce energy, have been affected and two of them remained on fire late Sunday night, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah told reporters at a news conference.

The three biggest challenges to douse the flames are the wind, limited access to the buildings due to melting sheet metal and structure collapses, Jadallah added.

No injuries have been reported, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

“Everyone was safely evacuated,” she said.

Levine Cava added that fire rescue staff was working to contain the fire and conducting air quality tests well into the night.

“All tests have come back clear at this time,” the mayor said.

WATCH: Videos show heavy, black smoke during huge fire at Doral waste-to-energy plant

Meanwhile, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department is warning nearby residents to stay indoors.

“Residents should stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, recirculating the air inside the home,” the fire department said.

How the fire started

More than 50 fire rescue units rushed around 2 p.m. Sunday to Covanta Energy, where fire crews found heavy black smoke and fire coming from the structure.

But as of 9:15 p.m., what initially started as a three-alarm fire turned into a four-alarm as around 200 Miami-Dade firefighters were needed to douse the flames.

READ MORE: A fire is torching a waste-to-energy plant in Doral. Here are safety tips for nearby residents

Jadallah told reporters at the news conference that the inferno may have started due to a faulty conveyor belt.

“We believe the fire originated from a conveyor belt that may have moved some of the trash that was on fire to other parts of the building,” he said.

Jadallah added that the fire will likely last several days.

“This is going to be a long-term fire,” he said.

A resident speaks out

The fire continued to impact surrounding communities Sunday night.

Roberto Andrade, a Doral resident who lives near the industrial fire, told the Herald that he is concerned about how the blaze may be impacting his kids’ health.

“There are a lot of chemicals, maybe, and we are very worried about that because of our kids,” he said.

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According to the Doral Police Department, the following intersections remained closed Monday:

▪ Northwest 66th Street and Northwest 102nd Avenue

▪ Northwest 97th Avenue and Northwest 74th Street

▪ Northwest 97th Avenue and Northwest 58th Street

“Please avoid the area until further notice,” police said.

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Miami Herald photographer Carl Juste contributed to this report.