The Calgary Fire Department is using heavy machinery and aerial drone technology to crush stubborn underground hotspots at the ECCO Recycling facility fire in southeast Calgary.
Fire crews are using thermal imaging cameras, ground assessments, and drone flights from the Calgary Police Service to map elevated heat zones deep within the landfill pile. To combat the subsurface embers, operators are taking soil to the site, packing heavy layers of dirt over targeted areas to choke off oxygen supplies, limit smoke production, and smother deep-seated fires.
Specialized heavy machinery, including an excavator fitted with a custom tamping attachment, is arriving on site to pack down the soil. This specialized equipment compresses the dirt layer, sealing off internal air pockets and gaps that allow heat, smoke, and air to circulate through the buried debris.
While containment efforts continue, commanders caution that isolated flare-ups, steam bursts, and temporary smoke plumes will occur as excavators expose and treat active heat sources. Provincial officials with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas maintain continuous air quality monitoring across adjacent neighborhoods to ensure public safety.
Emergency officials have reiterated that extinguishing the complex, long-duration fire will require sustained monitoring, heavy equipment operations, and soil placement over the coming days.