Eleventh Day of Blaze at Calgary’s Ecco Recycling Landfill

It’s hard to believe that a pile of discarded cardboard, plastics and old appliances can turn into a raging inferno that refuses to die out. Yet that’s exactly what firefighters in southeast Calgary have been wrestling with for over a week now.

Since the blaze first erupted on the sprawling Ecco Recycling landfill, crews have been on the scene around the clock, rotating shifts, bringing in high‑capacity water pumps and even trying to smother the flames with foam. Despite all that, the fire is still alive on what officials half‑jokingly call a ‘mountain of garbage.’

“We’re making progress, but it’s a slow burn,” said Fire Chief Mark Rivera on Tuesday. “The sheer volume of material, combined with the wind patterns out here, makes it a very tricky situation.” He added that the fire has now entered its 11th day, and while there have been no major injuries, a few crew members have needed treatment for heat exhaustion.

The smoke plume, a grey‑white ribbon that has been visible from the highway, has prompted health officials to issue a temporary advisory for residents within a two‑kilometre radius. “If you have asthma or other respiratory concerns, keep windows closed and consider using an air purifier,” the Calgary Health Authority advised. A few neighbours have reported an “odd smell” and a lingering haze that settles on their porches each evening.

Logistics have also been a headache. The landfill’s layout—think towering heaps of compacted waste interlaced with narrow access roads—means that fire trucks can’t get as close as they’d like. In some spots, crews have resorted to digging shallow trenches to create firebreaks, a labor‑intensive job that takes hours for each section.

Environmental groups are watching closely, fearing that the lingering heat could release toxic chemicals from the burned material. “We need comprehensive monitoring of air and water quality,” said Maya Patel of the Calgary Eco‑Watch. “A fire of this scale can have long‑term repercussions if not handled correctly.”

For now, the focus remains on containment. Water tankers keep rolling in, and aerial water drops are being considered if the wind picks up again. The city has also dispatched additional resources from nearby stations to keep the effort sustainable over the coming days.

Meanwhile, locals are keeping an eye on the horizon, hoping the flames finally sputter out before the cooler fall weather sets in. “It’s been a weird sight—seeing garbage on fire like it’s a forest fire,” remarked one resident, sipping coffee on his front porch. “We’re just hoping it ends soon, for everyone’s peace of mind.”