* Friday, August 30, 2019
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
Latest Update
EPA’s primary incident objective continues to be extinguishing the fire while minimizing impact to public health.
Today’s Observations
Air Quality in the area, including at Okatie Elementary, were “Good” on the Air Quality Index.
Onsite EPA activities continued to focus on firefighting and minimizing runoff. They have continued using a vacuum truck to capture water and send it directly to the sanitary sewer system for treatment.
No smoke was noted at the beginning of the operational period (07:00 AM). Steam from the pile decreased through the day as crews continued to segregate debris and apply water as needed.
Public drinking water in the area has not been impacted by the Able Fire.
If your tap water comes from Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority your drinking water has not been impacted by the incident at Able Contracting.
| Total Trucks through 8/29 | 695 |
| Total Tons through 8/29 | 6,402 |
| Trucks as of 3:00 PM 8/30 | 40 |
| Tons as of 3:00 PM 8/30 |
280* |
*Today's tons per truck is lower due to the fact that some of the material hauled was not wet.
Please note: The number of trucks leaving the site each day varies depending on the weather and firefighting activities. Also, the tons per truck are estimated on days when landfill receipts are not available at the time of this update.
Extended Smoke Forecast through Tuesday, September 2, 2019:
The fire activity and smoke associated with the Able Contracting facility has declined significantly in recent days, and air quality monitor data in the local area of the fire has shown particulate concentrations in the good range. Minimal smoke has been noted at the facility during the morning hours, and the smoke decreases by the late morning. Since hotspots remain in various areas of the debris piles on the Able Contracting facility, fire activity can flare up at any time and smoke associated with any flare-ups could be transported downwind before dispersing.
Winds generally from the northeast direction will likely persist through Tuesday, September 3rd. Any smoke that is emitted from the Able Contracting facility will likely move in the southwest direction. Argent Blvd in the vicinity of the Sun City community could be affected by smoke in this weather pattern if fire flare-ups occur. However, given the latest trends in fire activity, it is unlikely that smoke would be noticeable beyond locations closest to the Able Contracting facility along Schinger Avenue.
The Able Contracting Information Hotline has been established to provide the daily forecast and allow community members to leave messages if they have additional questions. The Smoke Forecast Hotline phone number is 803-898-4262 or 1-800‐204-1842.
Please click here for real-time data from the air sensors.
For media inquiries: media@dhec.sc.gov.
For other inquiries: ablefire@dhec.sc.gov.
Stay Informed
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.