SPRING BRANCH, Texas — An enormous wood debris fire continued to burn in Spring Branch Thursday and could burn for another two to three more weeks, according to the Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña.
The smoke in the area irritated neighbors who said ash had been falling from the sky for days now. Many of them said they were concerned about the health effects and claimed they couldn't even escape the smoke when they were inside their homes.
“I was really worried about it at first," said Taylor Elson, who had a front-row seat of the fire from his porch. “I have a 5-month-old daughter and so, of course, I can handle the smoke but small children, kids anything like that can be real troublesome.”
The fire started Saturday at a three-acre site that had been cleared for future construction on Hollister Road. The Houston Fire Department said piles of large mulch, tree debris, logs stacked up to 15 feet high, and live trees burned.
On Thursday, a town hall meeting was packed with residents who all had the same question: When will the fire be extinguished?
“They’re about two-thirds of the way through the extinguishing effort and what they’re having to do is they’re pulling material out, they’re turning it over, they’re wetting it down and they’re carrying it away,” said Houston Fire Department Chief Samuel Peña.
As far as air quality, the Houston Health Department said quality readings showed particles in the area were greater than average on Halloween, but the department would not say if the air is or was healthy for the public to breathe. Officials said that could vary from person to person.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but during the town hall meeting City Council Member Amy Peck said no permits were issued for a planned burn on the site.
HFD said firefighters will remain on the site until all the wood piles are gone.
Neighbors with health problems related to the smoke have been asked to call 311.