Fire breaks carved for Trafalgar fire

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Workers dump dirt and gravel and pack it down into a former exploratory trench that was cut near the edge of the former stump dump site on Trafalgar Road.
Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Workers dump dirt and gravel and pack it down into a former exploratory trench that was cut near the edge of the former stump dump site on Trafalgar Road.

Work continues around the Trafalgar Road fire in preparation for a solution.

An exploratory trench that was cut in January prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent properties, ADEQ spokeswoman Donnally Davis said, and helps to reduce environmental impact and cost, to the tune of $3.5 to $7.5 million.

The trench, which ran along the southern perimeter and ranged from 22 to 48 feet deep, was cut by Environmental Works Inc., a firm contracted by EnSafe.

"The trench was used to assess the presence of waste, determine the location of the fire and the depth to native material," Davis said.

Waste was identified during the dig, she said, and the ADEQ has requested further data from EnSafe regarding the materials removed from the fire site.

Last week, she said, the Arkansas Forestry Commission worked on-site cutting a fire break around the stump dump site.

A recent report issued by the ADEQ showed air monitoring data for Jan. 22 to Jan. 27 from the department's air quality monitoring stations located at Fire Station 2, which is near the former dump site, and a pump station near Cooper Elementary.

The testing station at Fire Station 2 showed an air quality index in the "good" range for each day listed except Jan. 23, which showed in the "moderate" range.

The monitor near Cooper Elementary indicated "moderate" air quality levels Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, and "good" levels the rest of the period.

The ADEQ defines "good" air quality as "satisfactory, and air pollution poses little to no risk," and moderate as "acceptable; however, for some pollutants, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people."

While test results did not indicate substantial risks to the general public, members of the public addressing city council during the Jan. 28 meeting complained of health issues they attributed to the fire, including coughing, difficulty breathing and strange sores, among other issues.

General News on 02/06/2019