(La Porte, IN) - Firefighters with help from about a dozen excavator and backhoe operators on Wednesday appeared to be getting a better handle on a fire at a public composting pile burning in LaPorte since Sunday.

 

It could be several more days, though, before the fire still producing heavy smoke is totally extinguished.

 

LaPorte Fire Department Capt. Zach Kanney said hotspots are being found as much as 15 to 20 feet deep into the pile of old decaying leaves, grass clippings and logs.

 

Kanney said the hotspots once exposed along with the burning material after its spread on the ground are doused with water mostly from aerial trucks.

 

“It does seem like we’re getting ahead of it,” he said.

 

A roughly 150 foot long by 200 foot wide section of the over 1,000 feet in length pile  near the LaPorte County Fairgrounds is burning.

 

Kanney said it could be up to a week before the fire is totally put out since a good sized portion of the pile on Zigler Road had not been touched yet by the heavy machinery provided by local contractors and operated by their employees.

 

“There’s just an enormous amount of material to move through and sift through and put water on,” said LaPorte Assistant Fire Chief Kelly Burke.

 

Kanney said the fire is constantly manned with firefighters working their days off to bolster manpower.  Help has also been provided by firefighters from other surrounding agencies.

 

“We bring in fresh guys when we can,” he said.

 

LaPorte Water Department Superintendent Tim Werner said the total amount of water consumed by the fire had topped seven million gallons.

 

Werner said there is no risk of running out, though, since the system can deliver up to 12 million gallons of water per day  Only about half of that daily capacity is being used on the fire and service regular customers.

 

Werner said the higher demand is causing a slight drop in water pressure along with discolored water for just a small percentage of customers.

 

He said the discoloration is caused from iron built up on the inside of pipes breaking loose from water moving through the system at higher speeds due to the increased demand.

 

“We’re handling it.  We’ve had no issues,” he said.

 

The LaPorte County Emergency Management Agency is also providing a trailer housing donations of food and water at the scene for firefighters from local businesses.

 

In addition, EMA is providing battery charging stations for radios along with spotlights to allow the work to continue throughout the night.

 

“We’re here just to support everybody,” said La Porte County EMA Director Rob Sabie.

 

Sabie said an air quality alert he issued Monday for LaPorte County because of heavy smoke from the burning pile drifting into neighboring areas will remain in effect until the fire is extinguished.

 

He said people with breathing difficulties should close their windows and not go outside until the alert has been lifted.

 

“Stay out of it if you have respiratory issues,” he said.

 

The composting pile belongs to the LaPorte County Solid Waste District, which allows residents to dump their yard waste there at no cost.

 

The site takes in other forms of organic material like fallen trees and limbs removed from roads by the LaPorte County Highway Department after storms.

 

Compost from the pile is sold at $15 per cubic yard and $20 per cubic yard for mulch.