Mulch fire in Chatham County stirs concern as smoke blankets neighborhood

Fire officials say it’s possible the blaze resulted from spontaneous combustion of decaying debris that ignited because of the heat and dry conditions that have gripped the area.

The North Carolina Forestry Department and Chatham County fire fighters spent much of Sunday at the scene trying to extinguish the blaze.

“I had a painter who is working on my stand and he said, 'What is burning?'" one resident said. "So, I came out and I said, 'I don’t know!”

County officials said they are aware of the issues caused by the smoke.

"We consider this a low-level smoke event so the smoke is more of an irritant," said Steve Newton, an officials with the Chatham County Emergency Management office. "Our guidance is if you're outside and you smell the smoke and it's irritating, go indoors."

Firefighters had to fill up a drop tank with water from a fire hydrant that is about a half-mile from where the mulch is burning in order to get water to the scene of the blaze.

They pumped between 8,000 and 10,000 gallons of water to the location as they tried to suppress the smoke and extinguish the blaze.

“The smoke is acrid and uncomfortable and it makes your eyes water," one resident said. "And if it’s close enough, it comes into the house.”