Thursday, March 28, 2024
 
Click HERE to sign up to receive Eye On Sun Valley's Daily News Email
 
Crews Continue to Fight Compost Fire
Loading
   
Saturday, June 30, 2018
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Get used to the smoke rising out of the Ohio Gulch area. It could take two weeks before firefighters extinguish it.

Fire crews continued to work Friday afternoon to extinguish huge piles of mulch that caught on fire Wednesday—a day in which the temperature climbed to 85 degrees.

Two excavators and one dozer broke up piles of mulch while engine crews ferried up water to the site from the northwest corner of the Valley Club. There a firefighter pumped water out of the creek into three portable orange holding tanks.

Firefighters on the scene cooled the debris with water and foam as the others broke up the piles.

The average truck can hold about 800 gallons, said Kelsey Brizendine, fire information and prevention officer for the Twin Falls District BLM. That’s the equivalent of eight large bathtubs.

Brizendine said putting the fire out has been slow, as there is a lot of compost spread over four acres.

“It can hold a lot of heat,” she said.

Residents of Indian Creek suffered through Wednesday night as acrid smoke suffocated their valley,  forcing them to close their windows. The smoke cleared out during the day and wasn’t as bad Thursday night, said Susan Fierman.

Hikers on the Fox Creek Loop north of Ketchum got an occasional whiff of it on Thursday.

Four engines, two water tenders, two excavators and one dozer are currently working the fire, which is located at the Winn Compost Facility near the Ohio Gulch landfill.

Investigators have not determined what caused the fire yet. The fire is just smoldering and there are no structures threatened.

The fire, reported at 3:26 p.m., was the first of three that local firefighters were called to on Wednesday afternoon.

An hour later a fire was reported in a small stand of cottonwood trees north of Colorado Gulch Road. It was knocked down within an hour. Firefighters said they believed it was human caused.

A third fire was reported at the Sun Valley Horsemen’s Center later in the evening when rotting wet hay is believed to have combusted spontaneously. Firefighters were able to control it within 90 minutes.

Elsewhere in southern Idaho firefighters fought a fire just southeast of Flying J earlier this week. They are still fighting one along the Middle Fork Road near Arrowrock Reservoir leading to Atlanta east of Boise. There are no road or area closures in place there.

~  Today's Topics ~


Lou Whittaker Leaves Behind a Legacy of Mountaineering and Storytelling

Free Range Poetry Society to Hold Second Gathering Tonight

Easter Bunny to Begin Hopping Friday
 
 

 

 

 
Website problems? Contact:
Michael Hobbs
General Manager /Webmaster
Mike@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
Got a story? Contact:
Karen Bossick
Editor in Chief
(208) 578-2111
Karen@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
 
Advertising /Marketing /Public Relations
Leisa Hollister
Chief Marketing Officer
(208) 450-9993
leisahollister@gmail.com
 
Brandi Huizar
Account Executive
(208) 329-2050
brandi@eyeonsunvalley.com
 
 
ABOUT US
EyeOnSunValley.com is the largest online daily news media service in The Wood River Valley, publishing 7 days a week. Our website publication features current news articles, feature stories, local sports articles and video content articles. The Eye On Sun Valley Show is a weekly primetime television show focusing on highlighted news stories of the week airing Monday-Sunday, COX Channel 13. See our interactive Kiosks around town throughout the Wood River Valley!
 
info@eyeonsunvalley.com      Press Releases only
 
P: 208.720.8212
P.O. Box 1453 Ketchum, ID  83340
LOGIN

© Copyright 2023 Eye on Sun Valley