Major fire breaks out at Kaunas waste management facility

A large fire erupted at a waste processing company in Kaunas on Monday evening, prompting a major response from firefighters, LRT.lt and BNS report.

Emergency services received reports of the blaze on Palemono Street shortly after 5 p.m. Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the site, where witnesses said waste stored outdoors had caught fire. Six fire trucks and a ladder truck were dispatched to the scene, with firefighting operations ongoing.

Local residents described ash-like debris falling in the surrounding area. The facility is home to several businesses, including the waste management company Žalvaris, where the fire is believed to have started. An Operational Command Centre duty officer confirmed to BNS that the blaze involved waste stored in the company’s outdoor area.

Firefighters have not yet contained the fire, and no information on potential casualties has been reported. The same facility experienced a major fire in August 2022, when 135 tonnes of paper and 250 tonnes of plastic burned in a secondary waste sorting area.