Fire engulfs waste processing plant in northern Poland, 200 firefighters battle blaze

Fire breaks out at waste plant

A fire broke out at approximately 12:30 on Saturday, 15 August at the ELWOZ waste processing plant in Chlewnica, in the Potęgowo commune of Słupsk county, Pomeranian Voivodeship. The blaze quickly spread across the facility, which processes and sorts waste. One worker was present at the time of the outbreak. The spokesperson for the Voivodeship Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Gdańsk described the situation as still developing.

It is a worker who evacuated on his own when the fire appeared. There are no casualties. The operation is ongoing.

The fire grew through the afternoon. Initial reports from around 13:45 described three halls burning over an area of more than 3,000 square metres, along with two waste heaps. By mid-afternoon, the figure had been revised to three halls exceeding 3,000 square metres and a waste heap of approximately 2,000 square metres. By early evening, the blaze had extended to four halls with a combined area of approximately 5,000 square metres, an office building, and remnants of sorted waste. One of the halls measured roughly 15 by 60 metres, and the waste heap was estimated at approximately 100 by 200 metres.

Firefighting response

Firefighter deployment escalated throughout the day. The earliest reports mentioned 28 brigades and close to 100 firefighters. By mid-afternoon the number had risen to 33 brigades and approximately 200 firefighters. By 20:00, the latest update put the deployment at approximately 60 brigades and more than 200 firefighters. The operation was commanded by nadbryg. Jacek Niewęgłowski, the Pomeranian voivodeship commander of the State Fire Service, who convened a crisis staff on site. After the crisis staff meeting, firefighters reported that the situation remained very serious and the fire was not yet controlled.

Specialist units were brought in, including a drone team, a chemical-ecological group from Gdynia, a vehicle for rapid air exchange in firefighters' breathing apparatuses, and a medical support group. Additional brigades were dispatched from Wejherowo, Bytów and Kartuzy counties under the voivodeship operational reserve. Firefighters drew water from nearby hydrants, a lake, and fire reservoirs on the plant grounds. Seven firefighters required medical attention during the operation.

Seven firefighters required help from medical rescuers, probably as a result of overheating due to the high ambient temperature. All persons received care on site. Nobody was transported to hospital. One of these 7 persons also twisted an ankle and independently went to the hospital emergency department.

Public safety warnings

The Potęgowo commune authorities issued an urgent communication to residents due to heavy smoke. Residents were urged to keep windows and doors closed, limit time outdoors, and avoid areas where smoke was detectable. The commune also warned that firefighting operations would require large volumes of water, potentially causing interruptions or pressure drops in the municipal water supply in Potęgowo, Nowe Skórowo, Darżyno, and Darżynko.

Westrych stated that the firefighting operation could last several hours. Workers at the plant began partial dismantling of the halls and used large excavators to remove sorted waste, allowing firefighters to reach all sources of fire. The removed waste was then being doused with water for thorough extinguishing. Firefighters continued to push against all seats of fire while protecting remaining structures from the spreading flames. The situation remained very serious as of the latest report at 20:00.