From Wabash City Hall
The Wabash City Street Department has been monitoring our brush dump site for a few weeks due to the spontaneous combustion and resultant fire deep within the mulch pile. All of the brush, twigs, branches, and limbs that we pick pick up throughout the year are brought to the site, and periodically a contractor comes and grinds it up to make mulch. The amount of mulch on site is quite frankly staggering!
We have been monitoring it, and the plan was to let it burn itself out after consulting with the Wabash Fire Department. Recent weather has not allowed the smoke created to dissipate naturally and has held the smoke close to the ground allowing wind to push it into surrounding neighborhoods/areas.
This morning, a decision was made to take a more aggressive approach. We now have a bulldozer on site to push the mulch so that members of the Wabash Fire Department and Noble Township Fire Department can douse the smoldering/burning mulch. This will eventually take care of the smoke, however it may get worse as we extinguish it, before it gets better!
I decided not to post anything about this situation until I had spoken to State Agencies that I thought I should discuss the issue with, which I did this morning. I am asking residents affected by this smoke for patience as we attempt to mitigate this situation. Our hope is that with forecasted sunny skies the next 3-4 days, Mother Nature will assist us in our efforts!
We will begin meeting to discuss an alternative method of taking care of the brush/limbs/tree debris from this point forward so that this situation does not happen in the future.
Sincerely,
Mayor Scott A. Long