Holding the line - More than a dozen fire departments fight Highway 59 flames for hours

Several departments responded to the fire off Highway 59, and northbound traffic experienced some delays until the afternoon. Photo by Brian Besch

By Brian Besch
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Around 60 firefighters responded to a call at USA Recycling in Goodrich Friday morning, and continued battling into the afternoon. 

Livingston Fire Chief Corky Cochran said an intense fire at the recycling center off Highway 59 in Goodrich needed 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames. Stations were set up at Holiday Inn and Thomas Supply to transfer water. Over a dozen departments received the call just before 9 a.m. Firefighters finally began to leave the scene around 2 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but debris and tires igniting sustained the blaze. A track hoe and bulldozer on site moved enough debris for firefighters to reach what Cochran called “the heart of the fire.” 

Departments responding included Holiday Lake Estates, Goodrich, Livingston, Indian Springs, Highway 321, Alabama-Coushatta, Cleveland, Tarkington, South Polk County, Scenic Loop, Woodville, Shepherd, Plum Grove and Camilla.

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There were no injuries, but one firefighter was checked for heat exhaustion.