A fire that has been burning at a mulch company in the Auburn area since Saturday is causing visibility problems for motorists on nearby Georgia Highway 316.
Barrow County Emergency Services (BCES) dispatchers have been receiving numerous calls from citizens concerned about smoke in the air because of the ongoing fire at Cowart Mulch Products, Inc. on Barrow Industrial Blvd.
BCES officials said mulch, pallets and other debris are burning in a large open area about two acres in size.
"A large berm has been built around the fire, and a 'moat' filled with water inside of that berm to prevent the spread of the fire," said BCES Chief Alan Shuman in a media statement. "However, the fire is very deep-seated, and is burning under piles of debris. Our strategy now is to continue to dig to expose the fire and to extinguish. Unfortunately, this fire will continue to smolder and smoke for some time."
Shuman said no structures on the property are in danger of catching fire. No one has been injured.
The cause of the fire is unknown, according to Shuman.
"Barrow County Emergency Services does not issue burn permits. That task is handled by the Georgia Forestry Commission. We are unsure at this time if proper permits were acquired by the business, or if this fire was even intentionally set. In the coming days, our investigators will work with officials from the Georgia Environmental Protection Agency to determine the chain of events leading to this event and see what can be done to prevent it from happening again."
For now, motorists on Ga 316 and nearby Patrick Mill Road are asked to drive carefully since visibility is limited by smoky conditions in the area.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/10/945035/barrow-county-mulch-fire-causes-visibility-problems-on-nearby-roads