WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News LeaderFirefighters Battle Blaze At Bay County Incinerator

UPDATE BY ADDIE HAMPTON

The fire sparked in the waste holding area -- also known as the "tipping room" -- of the facility in the industrial park off of highway 231 around 6:30pm Sunday evening.

Joe Tannehill, jr, the managing director of Engen, the company that manages the incinerator for Bay County, told News 13 that an employee noticed the blaze and alerted management.

Tannehill says small fires are common--they average about one a month and are extinguished by staff--but this one quickly got out of control.

The county fire department, assisted by Panama City Firefighters and a Hazmat Team were all called in.

Five employees were evacuated from the facility. Tannehill says all have been accounted for. Bay County Fire Chief Mark Bowen says the fire spread from the south side to the north side of the waste holding site and there were several thousand tons of trash in there at the time.

There is significant damage to the holding area. A wall was taken down, but the fire is contained to this location of the facility only.

Meanwhile, no cause is known at this time. Crews are still on scene at this hour. We will bring you more on this breaking story as it develops.

Red Cross Volunteers were stationed on scene providing coffee, water and food throughout the evening.

Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at the Bay County Waste-To-Energy Facility in Bayou George.   The call came in just before 7:00 p.m.  All off-duty career firefighters and a Hazmat team have been called to the scene.  We will have more details of this breaking story as they become available.