Update on Riverton crisis

The fire at the Riverton City Landfill has been causing distress to thousands of residents. At a press conference held yesterday, the heads of various national agencies provided an update on the situation. Here are some of the main points:

- The fire started 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Up to late yesterday, it was still raging, but no timeline was provided for extinguishing the blaze.

- The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is coordinating the national emergency response, pulling on resources from multiple agencies.

- The fire is affecting approximately half of the 120-acre facility.

- This is possibly the largest fire ever at the landfill.

- Authorities need more heavy-duty equipment to fight the blaze and are appealing for private-sector help.