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School Closed By Mulch Fire To Reopen

May 4, 2009

KPHO (CBS) 5

Jennifer Parks

LAVEEN, Ariz. -- Betty H. Fairfax High School in Laveen, Ariz., canceled classes Monday due to "unhealthy air quality" created by a mulch fire, officials said. Classes will resume on Tuesday, said Craig Pletenik, the school's community relations manager.

"Significant progress by firefighters battling the fire and a positive assessment of the air quality at the school site by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality late Monday led to the school district's decision to reopen the school for Tuesday," Pletenik said in a statement.

"Actually, the smell is stronger inside the buildings than outside," said Dr. Zack Munoz, the school's principal. "The air being pulled into them over the weekend kind of compounded the problem."

By Sunday night, the fire, which started sometime after 2 p.m., had only consumed about 10 acres and was contained to the mulch yard, but for miles people could see and smell the fire.

According to the Phoenix Fire Department, R&D Recycling owns the mulch yard.

Fire investigators haven't listed an official cause, but they think it was started by spontaneous combustion.

"When the weather gets hot, the right mix of temperature and other factors can cause a fire," said Capt. Courtney Jenkins. "Anytime it's a recycling yard --- definitely a lengthy campaign for us."

Another problem for fire fighters was getting water. Because of the fire's location near 63rd Avenue and Dobbins Road, there are no fire hydrants. The fire department had to pump water from the nearby canal.

"I left and couldn't smell much of it," said neighbor Mark Lowry. "I thought it was coming off the reservation. I came back and saw all the smoke and by then it was too late, couldn't do anything about it."

Lowry said the owner, Don Bradkey was moving mulch when the fire started.

"I was concerned obviously, but it's a friend of mine's business and wasn't much I could do about it," said Lowry.

Jenkins said the owner lost about 95 percent of his product and some machinery.

About 30 fire units worked to contain the blaze. So far, no homes have been evacuated, but if the wind picks up or changes direction Jenkins said they might have to evacuate a few homes.

He said it could take about three days to put out the fire.


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