PONDEROSA LANDFILL FIRE NEAR MANKATO

Several fire crews were called to a fire at Ponderosa Landfill near Mankato Tuesday evening.  Blue Earth County officials say the fire started after the landfill had stopped operations for the day.  Many fire agencies, the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office and county staff spent several hours fighting the fire.  Officials say the fire was in the northwest corner of the landfill.  No structures were affected.  The South Bend Fire department was called back at around 10:15 pm for  several hotspots.  The land fill is open and operating under normal hours.  Damages have not been estimated and a cause is unknown.  The Minnesota Pollution Control agency is monitoring the environmental or public health concerns.  The MPCA is monitoring the  area to track air quality to ensure public safety.