The environmentally-friendly disposal of Christmas trees caused a fire which sent thick black smoke across west Dublin and north Kildare throughout yesterday. Dublin Fire Brigade was continuing last night to battle the fire which broke out at around 4am yesterday at the Baily Waste recycling plant at Greenogue, Rathcoole, Co Dublin.
Six units of the fire brigade initially attended the scene but were unable to extinguish the fire because of the volume of mulch, mostly Christmas trees, being processed at the plant.
More than 200 tonnes of green waste had caught fire, according to district fire officer Joseph O'Brien. It is believed that the mulch pile spontaneously combusted because the large volume and weight of waste had allowed heat to build up within the core of the pile.
Fire officers reassessed the situation at 9am yesterday and decided to call in two JCB diggers and one "grabber" to demolish the pile. The operation continued throughout yesterday and last night with four units of the brigade in attendance.
There was no toxic hazard associated with the smoke, Mr O'Brien said, but it would have been "fairly unpleasant" for residents in the area. It was common at this time of year for the fire brigade to be called to recycling areas in parks where deposited Christmas trees were maliciously set alight, Mr O'Brien said.
However, it was likely in this case that the mulch pile had generated its own heat and naturally combusted.
