U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives from Colorado arrived in Ronan just before 5 p.m. Friday afternoon to assess air quality in the Mission Valley after a fire at a tire recycling plant spewed heavy smoke into the air.

Ronan Fire Chief Mark Clary expected the fire, which was reported at about 5:30 a.m. Friday, to last well into the weekend.

Clary said approximately 50 personnel from six different departments worked to put the fire out throughout the day. By Friday evening, air quality had improved significantly, he said.

“We’ve got most of it knocked down,” Clary said. “Most of the flames are out. The smoke is 100 percent better than it was this morning.”

Firefighters were using clay hauled in from Treasure State Concrete to put out the fire, he said. At one point, between 12 and 15 dump trucks were running to and from the burn site. The burning area was in a 300-foot-deep pit where shredded refuse from old tires is dumped, Clary said. The surface area of the burn was estimated to be 600 feet by 300 feet, he said.

“You can’t really put these out with water,” Clary said.

The recycling plant is called Tire Depot. It was the site of another fire in 2001 that resulted in the EPA being called. Clary said the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Air Quality Department was also on scene and monitoring the air.

 Clary thanked all who helped fight the fire.

“I’d like to thank all of our local departments,” Clary said. “It’s been a countywide effort.”

Lake County Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Stanley said extinguishing this fire was going much more smoothly than the one in 2001.

“It’s gone really well today,” Stanley said. “The last fire was a huge learning experience.”

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.