(AP) -- A fire at a garbage dump in central South Carolina prompted officials to call for a voluntary evacuation of nearby residents.
The fire started at the landfill about 12 miles west of Bishopville about 3 p.m. Monday.
Officials say about 50 people went to an emergency shelter at West Lee Elementary School.
Lee County Fire Lt. Brandon Holloman says the landfill was filled with household garbage, commercial and industrial waste.
Holloman says firefighters from Lee, Kershaw and Sumter counties used 160,000 gallons of water and were unable to extinguish the flames. Holloman said officials are letting it burn out.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control was monitoring air quality in the area and recommended that those with respiratory problems stay away.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH