What burns in the east valley? Firefighters, residents react to mulch fires as Shady Fire reaches full containment
Gavin Nguyen
THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – The Shady Fire in Thermal reached full containment over the weekend. But, in the aftermath of the 52-acre brush fire, residents are left wondering: what’s been burning on the land next to their homes?
The Shady Fire left behind thick, dark smoke that was visible throughout the Coachella Valley when it began burning on July 25th.
Fires in the area often involve large mulch piles, which can continue spotting and burning slowly for several days. Fire officials have said landscaping companies have a tendency to dump mulch in the area, which fuels these brush fires, like the Buchanan Fire that burned in Thermal in late March.
But aside from the mulch, fire officials told News Channel 3 that hazardous chemicals often present a challenge for firefighters.
“We have a lot of issues with illegal dumping in the area when the fires burn through them. And we have a hard time getting in there because of the chemicals and and the hazardous nature of that garbage,” said Captain James Lopez, with CAL FIRE’s Riverside County Unit.
That happened during the Shady Fire, according to Lopez.
“We had a lot of salt brush and some tamarisk burning through a lot of dumps from the garbage, and some car parts, some cars, vehicles that were burning through there. Some palm trees, palm tree fronds ran through that area pretty quickly and came up to the road,” Capt. Lopez explained.
When it comes to different types of smoke, Capt. Lopez said the thickness and color can be indicative of the fuels that are burning.
Thick, black smoke is often produced by structures or chemicals burning. Meanwhile, smoke that is a lighter black is produced by brush or trees.
Residents, like Raquel Canela, who live next to the property where the fire started told News Channel 3 over the phone the property became more of a fire hazard after it was sold.
Previously, it was “working land,” and the owners grew crops like okra. After it was sold, though, Canela said the area became grounds for dumping. Mulch, dry brush, and other fuels collected there until the fire tore through the area Friday.
Fire officials said the dumping problem has eased recently, attributing the change to increased enforcement from Riverside County. Capt. Lopez, though, said he hopes the problem continues getting better through better education and enforcement.
“I think people are … being more aware and there’s more county enforcement that [is] taking place to take care of that.”