Springfield FD Contain Fire at County Mulch Facility

On Sunday night, Springfield firefighters went looking for fuel and found a fire. 

According to Springfield Fire Chief James Sanford, on October 23 at 7:30 p.m., Springfield firefighters drove Engine 3 into the Union County storage facility on Shunpike Road for diesel fuel. Engine 3's officer noticed reportedly saw smoke rising from the center of the nearby Union County compost facility.

Prior to grinding the material into mulch, the recycling company Reliable Wood had stacked compost into a 20-foot high pile 120 foot long by 60 feet. Sanford said the fire was caused by a heat build-up from within the pile of organic debris during decomposition. 

Engine 3 firefighters notified the dispatcher and requested additional resources. On the scene, they established a water supply, and prepared to set up an aerial master stream with Truck 1. Initially, the fire produced a large amount of low hanging smoke that drifted into a nearby apartment complex.

After the smoke appeared, Sanford arrived and assumed command. Engine 3 pumped water to Truck 1 and the pile was cooled until Reliable Wood as able to break up the pile with heavy equipment. The fire was completely extinguished and overhaul operations were completed at 10:25 p.m. There were no injuries and representatives from Reliable Wood remained on location through the overnight.