Giant pile of mulch in Detroit could burn for days

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A massive pile of mulch is on fire on Detroit's west side - sending smoke over the city and creating tough breathing issues for residents caught below.

And according to the Detroit Fire Department, it could take days to put out. It's been burning since Tuesday.

"But the Detroit fire department will win this battle," said Daniel Clapp, the Detroit Fire Department's deputy chief. 

The massive blaze over on Prairie Street is not like other fires, which means the challenge the DFD is up against looks a little different. It requires different equipment - but the same persistence firefighters use when battling any other fire.

"We’re at 24 hours so every two to three hours we’ve been rotating through companies. There’s been approximately 30 companies on the scene and about 120 firefighters protecting the citizens," said Clapp.

It's unclear what started the fire - investigators won't be able to assess the cause until it's safe to move in. 

But with white clouds of smoke billowing upwards, excavators are teaming up with fire rigs capable of shooting hundreds of gallons of water a minute to keep up with the fire. 

Early Wednesday evening, streams of water could be seen spraying onto the pile, while mulch is dug up and moved around. 

Fortunately, what is burning is nothing toxic and won't present any hazardous danger to the public.

"We had the hazmat material team out here to test the air quality, the air quality is good. This is a natural burning material, so the air quality is not a danger to the citizens and we have hazmat returning to the scene to once again test, but we’re sure it’s gonna be safe for the community," said Clapp.

The best advice Clapp has is for neighbors to keep their windows closed to ensure no one is breathing in smoke.

Crews will continue to be rotated until the fire is out.