Amarillo mayor and city manager promise investigation after landfill fire; residents demand accountability

The Amarillo City Council on May 26 heard an extended update about a landfill‑related fire and its fallout, as city leaders pledged a thorough review while residents demanded faster action and accountability.

City Manager Grayson Path told the council he first learned of a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality notice of violation following a site inspection on April 30. Path said he immediately ordered several actions, including removing the landfill superintendent on May 22, covering exposed trash, accelerating cleanup, and beginning plans for real‑time surveillance and a new on‑site water well to improve fire suppression. "I will follow the facts. Every decision I will make will be grounded in the evidence developed through this investigation," Path said. He added that the city has begun a comprehensive internal review of landfill conditions, communications and decisions and will present a full report to the governing body.

The announcement came during an unusually long public comment period dominated by people who lost homes and animals in last week’s fires. Several residents described harrowing evacuations and ongoing uncertainty about insurance, debris removal and health risks from burning plastic. Tom Sherlin, who said his family lost property and suffered smoke and well damage, urged clearer coordination and support for affected families: "We still need help to make our homes safe and functional again," he said.

Neighbors who live beside the landfill pressed officials for specifics about continuing operations at Cell 10 and for faster trash collection and fencing to stop blowing bags. Carrie Homer told council she has called landfill staff hundreds of times without a return call and described the site as a "war zone" of blowing trash that threatens livestock. "Your eyes burn when you go outside," she said.

Other public speakers pushed the council to use its charter powers to investigate and, if necessary, subpoena testimony. Mike Fischer told the council the charter authorizes formal probes and said residents deserve a public investigation rather than private statements that "everything's okay." Several asked whether the city had been aware of smoldering fires or chronic problems at the landfill prior to the blaze; some speakers said they observed smoldering conditions in February and called for that to be part of any probe.

Council members and staff repeatedly emphasized respect for first responders and the scale of the volunteer and mutual‑aid firefighting effort that limited fatalities. Officials from neighboring Canyon commended Amarillo personnel for rapid mutual aid, testimony that multiple speakers cited while praising firefighters who saved lives and some properties.

What’s next: Path said the internal investigation will be ‘‘thorough, structured and fact‑driven’’ and will be shared with the governing body when complete. He also warned litigation is possible and said the city will be measured in public statements while the legal and investigative processes proceed. Residents pressed for an independent review, clearer timelines for debris removal and direct support for displaced households; council members said they would continue outreach and consider additional oversight steps.

Note: The city acknowledged a TCQ notice of violation and told the public it is directing expedited cleanup and operational changes; no determination of legal liability or final enforcement actions had been made at the meeting.