ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A mulch fire that's been burning in western St. Lucie County for more than a week is bringing heavy smoke to the area on Friday and causing breathing problems for some residents.
The Florida Forest Service said the Glades Mulch Fire was sparked by lightning on Aug. 25 in the area of Range Line Road and Glades Cut Off Road, and is producing heavy smoke and ash due to an "immense amount of debris" in the mulch piles.
Forestry officials said that although the 28-acre fire is 100% contained, residents should expect the smoke to carry on for weeks, even more than a month.
"This smoke isn't going away. It's gonna be present," said David Grubich with the Florida Forest Service. "It's not gonna be done until it's done. There's nothing we can do in between."
Grubich said the mulch piles are 20 feet tall and are a "charcoal pit" that are burning within.
"You have that crust layer on top which is the ash. Everything under it is the conductive fire where it's actually hot and glowing like a furnace," Grubich said. "It's just going like a furnace in there."
Grubich added the fire will eventually burn itself out when it hits the Earth's natural water table or mineral soil. But that could take weeks.
"You could get a foot of rain on this at the moment, and with that protective ash layer on it, it's gonna put that protective blanket on it. It's not going anywhere," Grubich said.
Multiple residents called the WPTV newsroom on Friday, saying the air is thick with smoke and it's causing respiratory issues for people.
One caller said smoke is filling the air near Tradition Preparatory High School, which is in the western part of Port St. Lucie, and students are coughing and having difficulty breathing.
The Florida Forest Service is advising residents to stay indoors with your doors and windows closed as much as possible, and run your home and car air conditioners in the "recirculate mode" with the fresh air intake closed to keep smoke from getting inside.
The St. Lucie County Fire District said it's responded to about 70 calls from people experiencing respiratory issues, and potentially hundreds of residents, maybe even thousands, could be impacted over the coming weeks, depending on the direction of the wind.
St. Lucie Public Schools said a couple of nearby schools have moved recess inside because of the smoke.
