SELMA, Texas – Firefighters are battling a large mulch fire in Selma that was only 30 percent contained as of Monday afternoon.
The fire was reported around 9 p.m. Sunday at Quality Organic Products, a landscape company, at 15497 Lookout Road near Loop 1604. A second call came in at 4 a.m. Monday.
Selma Police Chief David Padula said the burning mulch pile is 200 yards long, 50 to 70 yards wide and about 40 feet tall.
Padula said the fire won't be extinguished for a while and that responders are planning for a "long-term operation."
Six fire departments, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Bexar County Emergency Managment are on the scene. A ladder truck from Randolph Air Force Base will fight the blaze from above. Heavy equipment is being brought in to break up the large mulch pile.
Large plumes of smoke can be seen for miles. Smoke is causing a problem for nearby residents and traffic. Residents of a subdivision told KSAT 12 News they are concerned about the mulch pile being located close to their homes, however, there are no evacuations underway.
The cause of the fire is unknown.