Firefighters Battle Blaze At ECUA Recycling Center In Beulah

July 15, 2021

The Emerald Coast Utility Authority’s recycling facility was damaged by fire Thursday afternoon, but the extent of the damage remains to be seen.

The fire was reported about 5:10 at the ECUA Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) located at the Perdido Landfill in Beulah.

“The fire appears to have been located in the chute of the metal sorting area. Initial indications point to the possibility of a propane tank or battery, mixed in with the metal recyclables, as the potential source of the fire. An investigation as to the cause of the fire is ongoing,” ECUA spokesperson Nathalie Bowers told NorthEscambia.com. At the time, ECUA staff and fire officials were waiting for the smoke to clear to fully evaluate the damage to the MRF.

The visible fire was knocked down after 30 minutes, and there no injuries reported, according to Escambia County spokesperson Laura Coale.

“There is currently no impact to recycling collections for tomorrow and they remain on the normal schedule. Updates will be released as information becomes available,” Bowers said.

At about 8 p.m., firefighters were working to cool a hot spot and expected to remain on scene at couple more hours.

The Bellview, Ensley, Beulah, Ferry Pass and Osceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, NAS Pensacola Fire, and Escambia County EMS responded.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.


Comments

6 Responses to “Firefighters Battle Blaze At ECUA Recycling Center In Beulah”

  1. J. Michael on August 11th, 2021 8:32 am

    FYI, the fire impacted more than Escambia County. The Beulah center receives recycling from MY county in Mississippi, which has now been suspended. ALL of our recycle now goes to the local landfill, just as our residents were beginning to get back into the habit of recycling (the process was suspended after Hurricane Katrina). Hope y’all can get your facility back online soon!

  2. Dontmindme on July 18th, 2021 3:57 pm

    The metal sorting area is needed to get the metals out that shouldn’t be there. People seem to think their recycle bin is an overflow for when their normal can is full. And metal fencing is a horriidea idea. Think about all of the moving machinery at this facility and how that fencing could tangle in the equipment…

  3. Hoosier Daddy on July 17th, 2021 12:37 pm

    @ Richard….I think you are right about the rules. It seems they were designed by a committee that never gets together. No plastic bags, yet the TV commercial shows recyclables being placed in plastic bags. Plastic and metal containers are required to be clean and dry. That’s fine with me, but if someone down the street violates that requirement, the whole load is said to go into the landfill. Then, if the market is not profitable for any of the items to be sold, it all goes into the landfill. I agree with recycling, and detest garbage on the side of a highway, but I feel like Don Quixote charging windmills.

  4. Richard on July 17th, 2021 9:59 am

    Metal sorting area. That’s strange. I put some metal fence in my recycle can and it was not picked up. I was told they don’t recycle metal. I called our ECUA representative. I left a message. Never heard back from Him. I think they make up the recycle rules as they go.

  5. Pop-up on July 16th, 2021 11:01 am

    Looks like a glorified tent

  6. David on July 16th, 2021 6:27 am

    Glad no one was hurt.
    But I’m sure our fees will now increase to pay for the damages.