The fire at the Orrington landfill is expected to burn for days

ORRINGTON (WGME) – Officials say it will take several days to fully extinguish an explosion that caused a fire at a landfill in Orrington.

Residents of Orrington, Bangor, Brewer, Bucksport and Hampden are advised to keep their windows closed due to smoke.

According to Orrington Fire and Rescue, an explosion occurred at the Eagle Point Energy Center (EPEC), formerly known as Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. (PERC), on Industrial Way around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

When crews arrived, they found the fire had spread throughout the dump floor and had risen through the steel roof of the building, said Chad Bean, assistant fire chief for Orrington Fire and Rescue.

Bean said crews were unable to enter the building to extinguish the fire and remove a 40-foot pile of trash due to safety concerns.

The fire is reportedly contained, but it is still burning and will take several days to fully extinguish, according to Bean.

Residents of Orrington, Bangor, Brewer, Bucksport and Hampden are strongly advised to keep their windows closed as the fire is causing a significant smoke problem.

The Maine DEP states that smoke can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract and cause coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, burning eyes or a runny nose. People with heart disease may experience chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or fatigue. People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or forcefully as usual, and may experience symptoms such as cough, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Seek medical attention if you have difficulty breathing or symptoms worsen.

EPEC says the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is believed to be a lithium-ion battery.

According to EPEC, this material is remnants from 2023, when the facility was owned by PERC.

According to EPEC, PERC improperly disposed of nearly 8,000 tons of solid waste and polluted the site before creditors foreclosed on the facility in May 2023.

Since acquiring the facility, EPEC, along with the City of Orrington, has spent over $500,000 to remediate the site.

In a statement, EPEC said, among other things:

“EPEC and the City of Orrington commend the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s continued stance that polluters like PERC are held financially responsible, not host communities. EPEC looks forward to further progress in the cleanup and the start of construction.”