St. Lucie County - Monday September 12, 2022: In response to public concern about the possible harmful contents of the fumes from the still smoking Glades Mulch fire, the St. Lucie County Fire District has issued a news releases indicating that regulation of the mulch pile and the aftermath of the fire that caused the smoke lies with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

"Regulation of this type of land management falls to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and outside the scope of local entities, including the City of Port St. Lucie and the St. Lucie County Fire District," states the release.

The property owner "in consolation with the SLC Fire District Fire and the Florida Forest Service, has deployed multiple pieces of heavy equipment to spread and separate the burning material to ensure rapid combustion," and "the Fire District continues to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis and is working with the landowner on any assistance they may need to expedite mitigation of this situation."

However, "active extinguishment is not practical as that site is extremely large, remote, and has very limited water supply. Furthermore, the Fire District does not possess land clearing or the earth moving equipment necessary to manage the site," according to the release.

"Aside from practical concerns," said Fire Chief Nate Spera, "placing our firefighters on the mound for limited ineffective extinguishment would expose them to unnecessary risk, raise significant safety concerns, and moreover would not be an effective tactic."

The Fire District and the Florida Forest Service advise area residents to:

* Stay indoors as much as possible * Run your air-conditioner with fresh air intake closed * Use a portable air cleaner or air purifier to eliminate smoke * Keep windows closed and and turn on recirculate mode inside a vehicle * Avoid outdoor activities * If you are experiencing respiratory issues, consult your physician or call 911