New fires at Rocky Top landfill west of Yakima as citizens' group loses pollution appeal

Multiple fires have been reported this summer at Rocky Top Environmental, the limited-purpose landfill west of Yakima owned by the Mill Creek-based recycling company DTG.

While the private landfill has had a history of continuously burning fires beneath the surface, the new fires have started as the company moves material from an unlined, temporary cell to a second cell that is lined.

“The fires are not related to operational practices and appear to be the result of oxidation of some degraded materials as they are removed,” said Mark Prentice, spokesperson for DTG. “We have a fire watch in place and suppression equipment onsite to manage these instances should they occur.”

The state Department of Ecology has been alerted to three or four instances of fires from July to mid-August, said Luke LeMond, a hydrogeologist for the agency. In one of the cases, mattresses were on fire, he said.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/08/21/new-fires-at-rocky-top-landfill-west-of-yakima-as-citizens-group-loses-pollution-appeal/