Ecocycle’S Progress Fighting Fire Called ‘Substantial’ County Will Review Situation Monday Of West Plains Composting Business

The owner of a West Plains composting facility has made “substantial progress” toward snuffing out a fire that’s smoldered there for two weeks, Spokane County officials say.

The bad news for Ecocycle owner Jim Boyd: He may face fines or other penalties for stacking up far more yard waste, stumps and other debris than allowed under his county land-use permit.

Using backhoes and other equipment, along with lots of water, Boyd reduced both the size of the fire and the amount of smoke pouring from it, according to a progress report to county commissioners Thursday.

The situation didn’t look so hopeful during a meeting Tuesday. With angry neighbors at the table, officials from the county and Fire District 10 agreed to give Boyd until the end of the week to control the fire burning inside acres of compost piles.

Fire Chief Dick Gormley said at the time that he didn’t think Boyd could accomplish the task.

Gormley did not attend Thursday’s meeting and could not be reached by telephone. County engineer Bill Johns, who met with Gormley on Thursday, said the chief remains concerned that Boyd is burying the fire, rather than extinguishing it.

Probes placed inside some piles no longer burning on the outside topped out at 200 degrees in places, Johns said. Those hot spots could flare up again in days or months during hot weather.

In fact, Gormley said Tuesday that the current fire may simply be a reoccurrence of one that burned for a week in October.

After Thursday’s mostly positive report, commissioners said they’ll review Boyd’s progress again Monday.

The county and fire district hope to avoid spending public money on an all-out assault on the fire.

Already, the county has spent about $10,000 on the fire, and the rural fire district has spent more than $20,000. Gormley contends the county should help cover the district’s costs because it permitted the business.

Jim Manson, county building and planning director, said planning officials believe Boyd violated terms of his 1992 conditional use permit by stockpiling more material than could be composted in a few weeks.

“There’s probably enough there for six months or a year,” he said.

As they’ve done twice in the past, county officials have ordered Boyd to accept no more waste until the fire is out. He can continue selling the topsoil created from compost, but cannot allow customers onto the site.

Gormley said the prohibition against accepting new materials should be extended to a year or longer, in case the fire flares.