Fire at Columbia landfill started in biogas plant

A fire in a building at the Columbia City Landfill early Saturday started in a generator used to make power from landfill gas.

The fire in the landfill generator likely started because of an oil leak, city spokeswoman Patricia Weisenfelder said in an email. The plant at the landfill that produces power from landfill gas with be offline for a few days while workers determine the extent of the damage, Weisenfelder wrote, but parts of the plant will return to service in the next few days.

City officials do not yet know the cost of the damage, she wrote.

The landfill gas produced while the plant is offline will be burned off, Weisenfelder wrote.

The plant uses methane gas formed when trash breaks down to generate power. The electricity produced by the plant is part of the city’s renewable energy portfolio and made up about 1.2 percent of power generated by the city in 2016, according to the city’s website.

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