* Wednesday, August 21, 2019
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
Latest Update
The primary incident objectives continue to be fighting the fire, minimizing impact to public health, and evaluating potential environmental impacts.
If you drive in the area, please be aware of the increased truck traffic.
The EPA has added a Storymap of their monitoring on their website.
| Day | Number of Truckloads Removed from Site |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 37 (378 tons) |
| Monday | 66 (641 tons) |
| Tuesday | 69 (658 tons) |
| Wednesday | 67 (670 tons as of 3:00 PM) |
Please note: the number of trucks per day is subject to vary due to weather and logistical issues associated with fighting the fire.
There was visible flame this morning around 06:30 AM, but they were able to pull that material out and knock down the flames. Site technical staff is exploring options for a more efficient application of fire suppression water with the goal of reducing runoff. Smoke has been fairly light today and seems to be mostly dissipating before leaving the property.
Particulate readings at the EPA Command Post, Sun City, Short Cut Road, and Grace Coastal Church reported moderate air quality with average readings of 12.7-18.1 ug/m3. Particulates at Grace Coastal Church reported a peak of 118 ug/m3 which occurred as part of an increase of PM2.5 beginning at approximately 6:00 AM and decreasing to 7:45 AM. A brief increase of up to 74 ug/m3 was observed at Peacock Collision between 7-7:30 AM but averages throughout the period were within good air quality range. Peacock Collision and Brooke Mill apartments averaged good air quality for the period. Particulates at Okatie Elementary School, reported good air quality (≤12 ug/m3) for the period. Air monitoring around the site continues.
DHEC is developing a plan and will conduct surface water sampling around the site and the downstream watershed.
Smoke forecast for Thursday, August 22, 2019:
Light south and southwest wind should persist through Thursday, which should continue to move the Able fire smoke plume generally in a north and northeast direction. The atmosphere will remain moist and overnight smoke trapping will remain rather minimal, but light winds overnight may allow smoke concentrations to increase slightly through the overnight period. Smoke is possible from the 2500 block of Argent Blvd to the intersection of Argent Blvd and Okatie Hwy primarily during the early morning hours, dissipating by mid-morning Thursday. Locations closest to the Able Contracting Recycling facility along Schinger Avenue are more likely to experience smoke at any given time.
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.