By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — A fire at the city of Conneaut’s compost site re-ignited Friday, but this time authorities plan to let the blaze run its course.
“It’s smoldering,” said Public Safety Director Jon Arcaro. “We’ll keep an eye on it.”
A blaze at the municipally-operated site on East Main Road on Thursday afternoon was doused with the help of four fire departments and heavy equipment from the Public Works Department and a private contractor.
The fire rekindled Friday morning, creating plenty of smoke. No raging flames were detected, however, and the city is content to let the fire play out, Arcaro said.
“(The pile) has been turned over (by the heavy equipment) and spread out,” he said.
Firefighters spent four hours at the site Thursday, making sure winds didn’t push the fire into nearby woods and toward homes a short distance away. Some 32,000 gallons of water was pour on the fire, which was burning in a massive pile of tree branches, leaves, brush and other yard debris.
The pile sits several hundred feet south of Route 20 near the Pennsylvania state line, between the highway and Interstate 90.
