Chickamauga, GA – A small fire, about the size of two basketball courts, ignited this afternoon at the Walker County Landfill.

The fire occurred around 3:30 p.m. in a contained area. Landfill crews used dirt from a nearby stockpile to smother the fire and create a break to prevent it from spreading.

Firefighters with Walker County Emergency Services arrived a short time later and set up a coordinated water shuffle to douse the flames. The process involved seven fire trucks hauling water to a staging area to continually fill two 3,000 gallon portable water tanks.

Once the fire was under control, crews built a berm around the area and removed other potential fuel sources. The Walker County Landfill handles construction and demolition waste, such as lumber, tile and brick.

Crews will remain on site overnight conducting a fire watch to be immediately alerted should the fire rekindle.

Georgia EPD has been advised of the incident and is monitoring the situation.