South Fort Myers
Flames and hot spots are still burning in MV horticulture. It is the seventh day of the fire, and there are still brigades on the scene.
But for those who live near the processing plant, the smoke and its smell get old.
The mulch fire that started last Saturday is subdued, but you can still see the smoky spots. For now, firefighters say it’s just a “watch and wait” game and they will continue to monitor the area.
Despite the fact that the crews control the fire itself, from Michael G. Rippe Park you can see the smoke rising into the sky. This happens when small hot spots continue to smolder.
Alex McLellan is a public information officer at San Carlos Park Fire. “Today we have one aircraft and one engine, three firefighters at the scene. In this way, we were able to reduce the number of staff we have. We also gained access to the interior of the fire using an unmanned monitor, ”McLellan said.
About 63,000 gallons of water per hour are still used for fire operations.
Brent and Susan Addison live in the Breircliff area near Michael G. Rippe Boulevard. “The smell is really heavy. All of us in our family have been sniffing our noses and coughing a lot lately, ”Susan said.
They say it’s hard to believe this is still a problem after all these years. “It’s just a smoky haze, a smell, you know, and then, of course, there’s always the fear that keeps thinking about whether those little sparks will show up again,” Susan said.
“The smoldering fires obviously produce more smoke than the hot fire of pure burning. So you know the smoke can affect a large area or, you know, a very small area depending on the weather conditions, depending on how the fires are burning today, ”McLellan said.
The Department of the Environment says MW Horticulture has no right to work. And the owners will fight the DEP in court.
MV fire continues to smolder with periodic flashes. 100% contained up to MW, approximately 7 acres. 1 ladder, 1 engine and 3 staff at the scene. About 63,000 gallons of water per hour are used. The internal fire was engulfed by unmanned monitors. #MWFire
– San Carlos Park FD (@SanCarlosParkFD) April 16, 2022
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