Firefighters plan to plow a fire line around a blaze involving roughly 600 tires in southeast Pulaski County, officials said.
Brett Dawson, spokesman for the Arkansas Forestry Commission, said firefighters have dispatched a wide-track bulldozer from Grant County to the scene of the blaze, near Pitts Road. Once there, the bulldozer will plow through the wet and muddy ground, encircling the tires with a line meant to prevent the fire from spreading.
In addition to the Arkansas Forestry Commission, at least six volunteer fire departments and the Pulaski County Office of Emergency Management responded to the fire on Pitts Road, said Lt. Cody Burk, Pulaski County sheriff’s office spokesman.
Burk said the fire is on the site of an unauthorized tire dump that’s received complaints as far back as 2004. In 2015, a fire at the site burned about 15 acres before firefighters were able to contain it.
Court documents show that in 2018 a judge ordered two men, Charles and Larry Calmes to “immediately cease all unpermitted solid waste disposal, tire disposal, and illegal dumping” at the site, 13105 Pitts Road. In February of this year, Charles Calmes was found in contempt of court for failing to provide legal documents verifying ownership of the site and for failing to provide tire disposal and solid waste disposal receipts and documents.
Burk said they did not find anyone at the scene and was unsure who the current owner of the property was.
No injuries have been reported at this time.