Monday morning at 3:12a.m. the Bath Volunteer Fire
Department was dispatched for a smoke investigation in the area of the Steuben
County landfill located at 5632 Turnpike Road in the town of Bath. As the first
officer Assistant Chief Joe Washburn broke the crest of the hill on Turnpike
Road near the Moore Road intersection two miles from the scene, a flank of
flames could be seen moving across the top of the landfill. He immediately
requested to dispatch again for a working fire and started calling for mutual aid
from nearby departments for water tankers and brush trucks. There were no
structures involved but there were two pieces of heavy equipment that were kept
protected until landfill personnel could move them from the immediate area. The
fire was called under control by Bath Fire Chief Matt Glashauser at 7:43a.m.
and all fire units cleared the scene by 8:28a.m. The landfill was open for
business by 10:30a.m.
In all 16 fire departments were called in mutual aid for
tankers, engines, brush trucks and manpower from Bath VA, Kanona, Savona,
Avoca, Hammondsport, Pulteney, Prattsburgh, Wayne, Wallace, Campbell, Thurston,
Cameron, Cohocton, Canisteo, Howard and North Hornell. The Bath Volunteer
Ambulance Corps was also summoned to the scene to check firefighters over as
they took breaks, as well as Steuben County Emergency Services because it was
county property and to assist in calling in the mutual aid companies. The Bath
Volunteer Fire Department wants to extend our great appreciation to all those
departments and members who responded this morning.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Respectfully Submitted,
John Conrad Sr.
Public Information Officer
The Bath Volunteer Fire Dept.
