Expand / Collapse search
☰
Red Flag Warning
from MON 11:00 AM MST until MON 8:00 PM MST, Southern Graham-Central and Eastern Cochise-Southern Greenlee-Lower Elevations of the San Carlos Apache Nation in Graham County
5
Red Flag Warning
from MON 11:00 AM MDT until MON 8:00 PM MDT, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas Hwy 264 Northward, Chinle Valley, Black Mesa Area, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas South of Hwy 264
Red Flag Warning
from MON 10:00 AM MST until MON 7:00 PM MST, Coconino Plateau, Yavapai County Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County, Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons
Wind Advisory
from MON 9:00 AM MDT until MON 8:00 PM MDT, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas Hwy 264 Northward, Chinle Valley, Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau, Black Mesa Area, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas South of Hwy 264
Wind Advisory
from MON 8:00 AM MST until MON 7:00 PM MST, Kaibab Plateau, Grand Canyon Country, Coconino Plateau, Yavapai County Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County, Western Mogollon Rim, Eastern Mogollon Rim, White Mountains

Residents concerned about mulch fire burning in Pinal County

Published  November 10, 2017 5:52pm MST
Anita Roman's Reports
FOX 10 Phoenix

PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Calls started coming into the FOX 10 newsroom early Thursday morning from residents who live in an area concerned about the smell and taste of thick smoke that has been billowing in the air since Monday.

"I get such bad headaches, I can't breathe," Alton Schubring said. "I have asthma. It's driven us right out of our house."

Alton and Nancy Schubring drove right to the source of the smoke, which is a mulch fire at the Sun Valley Landscape Company located on Delaware and Houston Avenue in Mesa, about a mile from their home.

"Even our dog sneezes, occasionally, she's sneezing constantly," Nancy said.

Smoke can be seen and what's worse is the smell. Neighbor by neighbor drove by to see it for themselves.

"It's just that it's finally time to turn our AC's off, windows open," one person said. "We wake up in the middle of the night. It smells horrible."

Spokesperson for Sun Valley Landscape, Renee Collingsworth says the fire department came out and said to let it burn out on its own. Air quality has been on scene twice and wants the fire out as soon as possible.

Collingsworth assures those affected that they are safe.

"It just spontaneously combusts," she said. "It's not toxic, it's all organic materials. There isn't any trash, plastic. All organic materials."

But the Schubrings say just the smoke is enough and the couple might have to rent a hotel room until the fire is out.

"It's terrible, you can't get it out," they said. "I seal the house up and run the AC."

The company says they are working with everyone to get this fire out.