After 2 decades, Pa. tire fire cleanup ending
Posted: March 27, 2014 - 4:01am

DURYEA, Pa. (AP) -- Years of cleanup are finally coming to an end in northeastern Pennsylvania where more than 100,000 tires once burned. A fire in Duryea was intentionally set over two decades ago and on Wednesday, WNEP-TV (http://bit.ly/1hsV9wR) said state environmental officials announced that the site's cleanup is finally coming to an end. The fire burned hundreds of thousands of tires in September 1991 at what authorities said was an illegal 2-acre tire pile adjacent to the Coxton Rail Yards. Three teenage boys were charged with torching the tires. The blaze took 800 firefighters and a private contractor three days to contain. The years that followed were plagued by environmental concerns and ended the recycling business there. Over the years, tire removal grants were given to the borough to help the cleanup.