Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Safety Mulch Fires topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief details repeated mulch fires, mutual‑aid water tenders used to extinguish piles
Summary
The fire chief told the board that recent mulch piles experienced spontaneous combustion, creating air‑quality and neighborhood concerns; the department used mutual aid water tenders and retracted a burn permit to reduce risk.
La Verne's fire chief updated the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on March 4 about repeated fires in commercial mulch piles and the department's response to reduce risk to nearby neighborhoods.
Chief Beasley said crews responded multiple times to mulch‑pile fires that he attributed to spontaneous combustion inside compressed piles of processed wood. "The tighter it compresses because of the weight of it coming down, creates a spontaneous combustion, and it starts deep inside the pile itself," Beasley said, describing why some piles self‑heat.
Beasley told the board that the fire marshal had worked with the operator when a burn permit was initially issued; the permit was later retracted because the operation was too close to homes. The chief said crews have reduced most piles to ground level and that recent rain should help remove the remaining risk. He also said the department used Rutherford County mutual aid and volunteer fire department water tenders because of local water‑supply constraints.
Beasley acknowledged residents' complaints about air quality and odor and said the department acted "within our guidelines and what we can do within the city ordinances to handle that." He asked board members to note the inconvenience to neighbors while describing the operational steps taken.
No formal action or ordinance was taken on the matter during the meeting; the chief characterized the issue as an operational fire‑safety and code‑compliance matter.
