Fire destroys nearly 90% of ELWOZ-ECO waste plant in Chlewnica, 150 jobs at risk

Outbreak and spread

A fire was detected by facility security at the ELWOZ-ECO waste management plant in Chlewnica, Potęgowo municipality, Słupsk county, on Saturday 15 August at approximately 12:30. The alarm was raised to the State Fire Service immediately. By 15:00, 28 units with roughly 100 firefighters were on scene and three halls were already burning. Reinforcements were called in, and by early evening nearly 60 units with over 200 firefighters from PSP and OSP units across the region were engaged. The fire spread to a fourth hall and the administrative-office building, bringing the total affected area to approximately 5,000 m² across four production-storage halls, plus the office building and significant raw-material storage areas.

Firefighting challenges

The blaze was localised shortly before midnight on Saturday, meaning its area and volume were no longer increasing. Five excavators were deployed to grab waste, turn it so firefighters could douse it thoroughly, and move it to a safe location. Water was drawn from nearby hydrants and a lake close to the plant. Firefighters worked through the night in rotation, with a dedicated rest point for hydration and hot meals. Dense smoke rose several hundred metres, forcing crews to operate in breathing apparatus. Firefighters did not climb the external waste heap due to the risk of hidden voids that could pose a lethal danger.

Captain Piotr Basarab of PSP Słupsk told Radio Gdańsk on Sunday that 30 units with 60 firefighters remained on site, focused on extinguishing the storage-quadrant heap. He said the cause was not yet known and the operation's duration remained uncertain.

Casualties and medical aid

Seven firefighters required medical assistance during the operation. Pomorski PSP commander Jacek Niewęgłowski, who commanded the operation, said the aid was provided on site by firefighter-medics and none of the seven required hospitalisation; they rested under observation. One volunteer firefighter from OSP twisted an ankle while laying a water-supply line and was transported to a hospital emergency department. Niewęgłowski noted the fire service had its own ambulance on site, providing continuous support for hydration, rest, and meals.

Environmental and community impact

The Specialist Chemical-Ecological Rescue Group from PSP Gdyni continuously monitored air quality and found no toxic-emission threat to residents. The municipality of Potęgowo issued an urgent advisory asking residents to close windows and doors and limit time outdoors. There are no residential buildings near the plant, and no civilians were injured. The fire did not spread beyond the facility's grounds, and crews worked to prevent it from reaching a nearby forest.

Economic fallout

Mayor Dawid Litwin, who arrived at the scene within minutes of the alarm and spent over a dozen hours at the command post, estimated losses in the tens of millions of zloty. He said the plant, built and developed over 25 years, was destroyed in a matter of hours.

“It's a terrible day for the municipality of Potęgowo and for over 100 employees. I hope the plant can be rebuilt, but what I saw allows me to say that over 90% of the company has burned down. The losses are enormous.”

The facility employs nearly 150 people, and local authorities began organising assistance for workers who from Monday would have no workplace to return to. Litwin, who has served as mayor for 12 years, said he had never seen a fire of this scale. He thanked PSP and OSP firefighters from Potęgowo and the wider region, as well as residents who supplied drinking water and hot meals to crews throughout the operation. The company, ELWOZ-ECO, issued a statement on Sunday confirming that firefighting in the four buildings was complete and that ongoing work concerned the open-air storage quadrant. The company said it was monitoring the situation and cooperating with all agencies involved in the rescue operation and investigative proceedings.