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Greg Hos says neighbor’s nonstop burning and unpermitted work are harming his health in Horsham
Summary
At a Horsham Township council meeting, resident Greg Hos presented photos and alleged a neighboring property burned sawmill slabs “24 hours a day,” causing smoke that aggravated a lung condition and recurring basement flooding from alleged unpermitted fill; staff said they will forward materials to code enforcement and asked Hos to report active incidents so police or fire can respond.
Greg Hos, a 78‑year‑old Horsham resident, told the Township Council that persistent burning and related activity at a neighboring property near 10:05 Davis Grove Road has polluted his yard, aggravated a previously identified spot on his lung and worsened sinus infections.
“I have a spot on my lung … That fire has burnt consistently for the past seven days, night and day,” Hos said, identifying the burned material as slab wood produced by a sawmill and presenting photos he said show Spartan Drywall trailers, trucks, heavy equipment and a sawmill that generate the combustible slabs.
Hos said the smoke “is polluting the environment” and that he is highly allergic; he also described a separate concern that the neighbor filled a historic mill race and added large volumes of dirt around the house — work Hos said took place in a floodplain and has pushed groundwater into his basement, forcing him to add multiple sump pumps since 2024.
Council members and staff asked clarifying questions during Hos’s public comment. A staff member said the township’s fire prevention code requires fires to be a minimum distance from combustible structures and to be constantly attended until extinguished; staff also said they would share Hos’s materials with code enforcement.
“If we have another 7‑day fire, please call when it is active, especially if it is unattended and overnight so that we can do something in real time,” a council official told Hos, adding that after‑hours enforcement typically falls to police and the fire department.
Hos said he previously reported the problem to local officials and that a fire marshal inspected the site and described the burn as a ‘‘small personal fire,’’ which Hos disputed. He urged the township to revisit prior enforcement actions and the existence of any variances the neighbor received for work in the floodplain.
Township staff asked Hos to provide copies of his photos and said staff would review the evidence, coordinate with code enforcement and update the council and Hos after staff returns from the July 4 holiday period.
The council did not take formal action on Hos’s complaints at the meeting. Staff advised Hos and other residents to call emergency services or the fire department when fires are active so enforcement can respond in real time; staff also committed to investigating the property‑compliance and floodplain questions raised by Hos.
