Hoopeston tire fire cleanup underway

They're beginning the slow process of cleaning up debris from last month's massive fire at a tire recycling business in Hoopeston.

The Illinois EPA is monitoring the cleanup process at J&R Used Tire Service. Fire officials say hotspots in the rubble are still being found a month after the blaze was extinguished,

The June 19 fire was sparked by static electricity and eventually engulfed the 400,000-square-foot brick facility. Heavy, black smoke billowed for hours and was seen for miles. More than 100 firefighters from Illinois and Indiana battled the flames at the 10-acre site.
Several dozen trailer loads of debris have been carted from the site.

Environmental officials say they believe the facility had more than a million tires when the fire began. The rubber from the used tires was being converted into products, including mulch.

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