The City of Yuma and Yuma Volunteer Fire Department ended up having to battle a grass clippings fire this past Monday and Tuesday.
The city provides dumpsters for grass clippings throughout the mowing season, then takes the mowed grass to a pile located at the east end of the waste water treatment plant property one mile east of Yuma.
Smoke and a burning smell began wafting through the community later this past Monday afternoon.
The city posted a release that it was being caused by the grass clippings pile spontaneously combusting. It is a large pile of grass clippings, and it was explained that much like a haystack fire, it is very difficult to extinguish.
The city staff, two contractors and the Yuma Volunteer Fire Department began working on trying to stop the fire Monday, and resumed the efforts again Tuesday morning. The hope was to have the “smoldering pile” completely buried by Tuesday.
The fire eventually was completely stopped by Tuesday. The city hired Derek Bueltell and Jerry Ritchey as contractors to bury the smoldering grass clippings. It also utilized Yuma Police Department employees Trevor Neb and Justin Forsythe, who also are members of the Yuma Volunteer Fire Department, providing a fast-attack truck at the site in case any of the equipment caught fire. They also did mitigation burning of the surrounding area.
City Manager Scott Moore was quoted in the city’s release as stating “We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused throughout our community and steps will be taken to not have this happen again.”
He told the Pioneer the city now has a solid plan not to allow this to happen again.
