Trash Fire Erupted at Newby Island Landfill on Saturday

Firefighters extinguished a large trash fire at the BFI Newby Island Sanitary Landfill in a rural area of Milpitas Saturday night, a San Jose Fire captain said.

The fire was reported around 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the landfill at 1601 Dixon Landing Road near the San Jose border, according to Fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort.

The blaze was initially called as a 2-alarm fire since it was unclear what was burning. Once crews determined only garbage was involved, the second alarm was cancelled, Van Elgort said.

About 25 firefighters battled the roughly 200-square-foot trash fire, containing the flames in about 90 minutes, the captain said.

Though the fire sent billowing black smoke into the air, it did not threaten any structures, and no injuries were reported.

"Thankfully, we did not have a strong breeze so we were able to put out the fire out before the plume (of smoke) could go anywhere," he said.

The landfill is in a remote area of Milpitas, but fire officials advise any residents living downwind of the still-smoldering blaze to go inside their homes and shut any doors and windows.

"Any of that stuff burning is probably not great to inhale," the fire captain noted.

Van Elgort said the blaze is one of a handful of fires reported at the landfill over the past several years.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

-Bay City News