Mulch At Recycling Center Catches Fire

A pile of mulch caught fire over the weekend at the site of the Ball Ground Recycling facility.

According to the Cherokee Tribune, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services were called to the scene in which a pile of mulch that measured between 30 and 40 feet caught fire Saturday and burned through Monday. 

Tim Cavender, director of public affairs for the fire department, said fire fighters treated the blaze as a controlled burn.

"We continue to keep a close watch on the fire and will be several days," he added on Wednesday. "The mulch fire started on its own and has ignited several times during the past few months."

Fire Chief Tim Prather informed the Cherokee County Commission on Tuesday that no one was hurt in battling the blaze and noted surrounding residents are not in any danger with the controlled burn.

He also noted the pile will continue to smoke "for a while."

County Commissioner Harry Johnston noted the mulch that burned was the raw material the county had been trying to get rid of since it's been deemed to have "negative value."

The plant has been empty since the company filed for bankruptcy in late May. The company moved there with the help of the county's Resource Recovery Development Authority when in 2006 approved issuing bonds up to $18 million from its former location on Blalock Road.

The county has been footing the bill for the lease payments when they were informed last year that Ball Ground Recycling owner Jimmy Bobo had not been making payments. Since Bobo filed for bankruptcy, the county has been utilizing the bankruptcy court to penetrate Bobo's assets to recover the costs owed to taxpayers.