BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Hernando County officials will now reassess where recycling will go after a two-alarm fire destroyed the county's recycling center early Saturday morning.
Fire crews were called out around 5:45 a.m. about a "well-advanced" fire happening at the landfill off Ponce de Leon Boulevard, east of the Suncoast Parkway.
Fire Chief Hasenmeier said during a news conference that the area was a tough location because there are no nearby hydrants and because of that, they had to escalate to a second alarm.
The chief said Citrus Fire Rescue sent over several units to help put out the fire.
"We've had a drone up overhead and the landfill personnel are helping us with some overhaul," Hasenmeier said.
He said fire crews ran 5 tanker trucks to shuttle about 5,000 gallons of water back to the facility from a hydrant two to three miles away.
According to the chief, the building's roof has partially collapsed and everything inside is a total loss.
"The entire county's recycling from convenience centers to residential pickups gets sent to this facility," said Gordon Onderdonk, a utilities manager.
Onderdonk said they will be closed today but plan to meet Monday to determine where recycling will go now.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Watch the full news conference below