PRAGUE — A massive fire broke out on Monday evening at a plastic landfill in the Czech Republic, prompting authorities to issue a level-2 alert and mount a large firefighting response, according to local media.

Several firefighters have been injured in the blaze.

The fire in the village of Rynholec, in the central part of the Czech Republic's Bohemian region, covered an area of at least 450 square meters with flames as high as five meters.

Some 250 firefighters with more than 100 pieces of equipment were dispatched to battle the rapidly spreading blaze that was burning through loose plastic waste.

Fourteen firefighters were treated for the effects of overheating, while one was treated for burns.

The goal for firefighters on Tuesday morning was to prevent the blaze from spreading to another part of the landfill.

But the task has been made difficult because of extreme heat emitted from the blaze, which means that water evaporates before it even touches the flames, a fire department spokesman said.

According to firefighters, the situation remains serious. — Euronews