Fire crews have contained a massive fire that broke out late Monday night at the New Earth Soils and Composting facility on Interstate 10, near Foster Road.
San Antonio Fire Department spokeswoman Debora Foster says the initial call was for a grass fire. "From what we understand, there were wooden pallets by a conveyer belt that may have started the compost pile on fire. It does pose a unique risk for us because the fire is deeply seated within that pile, and what we have to do is just continually drown it until it goes out."
Foster reminds anyone with respiratory problems or asthma to exercise caution while in the area, because it could aggravate the conditions they have.
"Right now, what we have to do is just stay on scene, monitor, put water on it. Later on, when we think it's contained enough we may start pulling stuff off that compost pile to get to the deeply seated fire."
Fire officials are attempting to keep the flames from spreading to another pile of mulch nearby. No homes have been threatened by the fire, and no injuries or evacuations have been reported.
"It could be days, it could be even longer than that," added Foster. "I don't know if you recall the Helotes compost fire we had that burned for months. So it just takes a long time for us because it's a very slow and tedious process getting to the actual seat of that fire."
