ORRINGTON, Maine (WABI) – It has been almost 24 hours since a large fire broke out at the Eagle Point Energy Center in Orrington.

Firefighters are still on site and are working to completely extinguish the fire. According to officials, this process could take several days.

“Well, I’ve definitely been to a lot of fires down here over the years. That was actually the worst. “The extent of the fire that the boys had when they arrived is certainly something we have never seen before,” said Chad Bean, assistant fire chief for the town of Orrington.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, crews were alerted to a fire at the Eagle Point Energy Center (EPEC) in Orrington.

“It was a major fire in the tipping floor area of ​​the facility. “There was a lot of fire here, and when we got there it was coming through the roof and the front wall,” said Scott Stewart, Orrington fire chief.

Ten fire departments responded to the scene, a mutual aid effort that Orrington Chief Scott Stewart said was essential to minimizing damage.

“When we call for these people, they don't ask if they're coming, they just come. And that quick response is what drives success,” said Stewart.

Stewart initially says the facility's hydrant wasn't working.

But within a few minutes, an EPEC employee showed up to get the system up and running again.

Crews said they had used nearly 800,000 gallons of water to control the fire by midday Wednesday, limiting damage to one room.

“We are working with the building owners to develop plans to successfully end this incident and protect the neighborhood and people,” Stewart said.

According to the fire department, the next step is to bring personnel and heavy machinery into the building once its structural stability is confirmed.

They can then attack the source of the flames, which is believed to be deep in a pile of trash 200 feet long and 40 feet high.

“We will take the building apart and start removing the trash slowly and clear it out over time. So that’s kind of the plan for now,” Bean said.

Copyright 2024 WABI. All rights reserved.