Edit: Firefighters can never be entirely sure what they might face from day to day, but none of them bargained for what took place the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 16.
Just before 3 p.m. and not long after church services came to a close, a call came into Morgan County Fire and Rescue (MCFR) from the transfer station off Highway 441 just north of Madison.
The caller reported that a pile of trash at the transfer station was actively burning.
Engines 16 and 2, as well as Tender 2, Brush 16, and personnel and volunteers from Battalion 1 responded and found a pile of trash burning on the deck outside the transfer building, according to a report obtained from MCFR.
County personnel and a supervisor working at the station were on hand to help the firefighters assess the situation, and it was determined to be inside a metal building with a large concrete pad and a large quantity of garbage piled on it.
The structure itself was not yet burning, but significant heat damage had already occurred.
Firefighters wearing heavy turnout gear on a day when temperatures hovered near 100 degrees began fighting the fire and had the main fire knocked down in short order.
The burning garbage was pulled apart and wetted down, and smoldering garbage located between some of the metal plates was wetted as well.
Once the smoke cleared, the transfer station crew used a loader to move the trash buildup completely away from the walls.
According to MCFR, the fire likely originated from combustible materials tossed into the garbage, possibly lithium-ion batteries, that ignited.
According to Public Works Supervisor Richard Nunnally, no one had been at the site since the previous day, and the transfer station is situated behind a locked gate.
Firefighters returned to the site a few hours later to make sure there were no hot spots.