Mulch fire continues off of Highway 58

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Mulch has been burning in Chattanooga for almost a week.

John Schultz the Air Pollution Control Bureau Investigator said, “The city and the county who own the property had an area cleaned and cleared of brush. The contractor versus burning it had it chipped and they put it in a large pile. When I say large it’s about 200 ft. by 200 ft. by 100 ft. high.”

But how did the fire start?

“The problem with stacking mulch and not turning it is that it gets extremely hot and will spontaneously combust and that is what happened in this case, said Schultz.

There are some complications with containing this fire.

“You can’t put it out with water because water won’t get to the base of the burning,” said Schultz. “You have to use equipment to pull away the mulch and spread it out. With a pile that big, it has taken a while.”

Many complaints have been called in about the billowing cloud of smoke.

Schultz  said, “At night when the sun goes down the smoke doesn’t go up, it goes sideways. It has been detected going as far as the river.”

When I asked Jon Schultz if the fire would be out today he responded with, “I would say not. They are going to continue to work until it is out.”

Hamilton County is under a no burn ban for the entire weekend.