Residents on the west side of Detroit are facing air quality concerns as a massive mulch fire continues to burn, having started yesterday around 6 p.m., with Detroit Fire Department officials battling the flames which are emanating smoke and a strong odor noticeable as far away as Windsor, WWJ’s Mike Campbell reported. The significant pile of combustible materials, estimated to be a massive 20 feet high and roughly the length of five football fields, is composed of trees, leaves, brush, and compost, Detroit Fire Department chief Reginald Harper told WWJ.
Crews were still working to contain the fire this morning, as heavy smoke led to calls from concerned citizens miles away, although it was determined the smoke was solely from the Prairie Street location near Lyndon and Livernois, prompting hazmat and water department resources to be summoned to the scene, according to FOX 2 Detroit. As the Detroit Fire Department works to control and extinguish the fire, they've stated no injuries have been reported, while AirNow indicates that areas near the fire maintain a Moderate level of air quality concern, suggesting a possible risk for people unusually sensitive to air pollution.
WXYZ explains the situation has become worrisome for neighboring businesses such as Set Duct Manufacturing, which has nothing but a fence separating its premises from the fire. "We were worried it was going to get close to our trucks, and our yard outside" Dion Earehart, a representative from the business, expressed concern, adding, "If the smoke gets bad, I'm not going to keep these guys here, because you never know what's in them fumes. I'll send them home and they'll be done." Amid these growing concerns, the cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Detroit Fire Department.
As the fire continues to smolder and their efforts continue into the foreseeable days, worries about the effects of the fumes and the possible health implications for factory workers and residents in the vicinity arise while the Detroit Fire Department officials labor to dampen the flames, a task simplified by Anglin Civil's Jordan Goza as throwing water on it, which he posited in conversation with WWJ’s Mike Campbell, "It (the water) will seep through eventually," as detailed by WWJ.
