A massive fire tore through the Northwest Regional Landfill in Surprise on Friday afternoon, shooting a thick column of smoke into the sky that was visible across much of the Phoenix Valley.
Crews spent hours working the scene near 195th Avenue and Deer Valley Road as units from several departments poured in to help. According to KOLD/AZFamily, agencies including Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria and Avondale were called to assist, and Surprise Fire-Medical urged drivers and residents to steer clear of the area while firefighters attacked the flames and smoke.
Where The Blaze Burned
The fire broke out at Waste Management’s Northwest Regional Landfill, a permitted municipal and construction-debris facility listed at 19401 West Deer Valley Road in county records. The Maricopa Association of Governments solid-waste facilities summary notes the Deer Valley Road and 195th Avenue location and the types of waste accepted at the site. Officials at the scene had not identified a cause in the initial updates.
How Landfill Fires Start And What The Smoke Can Contain
Landfill fires can burn on the surface or smolder deep underground, driven by decomposition, trapped landfill gas such as methane or “hot loads” like lithium-ion batteries. The U.S. EPA has flagged lithium-ion batteries as a growing ignition risk in waste facilities. Federal analyses and guidance from the EPA explain that batteries and other high-heat materials can start fires that are notoriously hard to put out and that smoke from burning mixed trash can carry carbon monoxide, fine particles and other hazardous compounds. Those reports urge caution because emissions from landfill fires vary with whatever is burning and can be harmful.
Health Guidance For Nearby Residents
Smoke from a fire of this size can irritate eyes and airways and can aggravate chronic heart or lung conditions. Public health agencies advise staying inside and steering clear of the plume whenever possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends checking local air quality (for example, at AirNow.gov), keeping windows and doors closed, setting up a cleaner air room if you can, and using NIOSH-approved respirators such as N95s when you have to be outdoors near smoke. Anyone with severe trouble breathing, chest pain or other emergency symptoms is urged to seek immediate medical care.
Fire crews remained on scene into the afternoon, monitoring hot spots and watching the drifting smoke. Local outlet ABC15 continued live coverage as officials reiterated that people should avoid the area until firefighters fully clear the scene.
