Clayton, N.C. — Firefighting crews in Johnston County are taking a new approach to extinguishing the fire that has burned for more than a week at a yard-waste landfill near Clayton.

Wednesday, volunteer firefighters from the Archer Lodge Fire Department began applying a foam-water mixture to the fire, which is burning underground in stumps and logs buried as deep at 70 feet.

The Johnston County Emergency Management Department said the mixture will be tested through Thursday. If it works on the test area, firefighters will extend the application to the whole fire area, the department said.

They said the foam is considered safe for the environment. Some residents who get drinking water from nearby wells had expressed concern last week about the effect that pumping large volumes of water into the fire might have on them.

A shipment of 37 drums, which equates to 2,035 gallons of foam, is expected on Friday morning, the county said.