Mottville Township moves forward after mulch fire

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Mottville Township, Mich. -- The massive mulch fire in Mottville Township was put out Saturday night after nearly a week of burning.  Now, for the Green Stream Company and the township it’s all about getting things up and running again.

Town Zoning Administrator Doug Kuhlman says a big part of that is getting back to work on a safety plan for the property.

Kuhlman says they were only a few months away from a new safety plan before the fire happened.

“We were doing what we thought was best and unfortunately this is what happened before we got that job done,” says Kuhlman.

Work to make the place safe had already started. When the company heard concerns about how emergency crews would get around the facility, they built a new fire lane in April.

While they’re still tallying the cost of the fire, Kuhlman says Green Stream has offered to pay for any costs the town would typically cover. Green Stream also called in the air support on their own, paying for a crop duster to drop water on the flames from the sky.

Kuhlman says Green Stream has been very cooperative, with their employees working around the clock with the fire department to move the mulch during the fire.

“Green Stream provided every ounce of manpower of equipment that they had to assist in taking care of this as well,” says Kuhlman

During the fire, those who live nearby expressed their safety concerns about the facility.

Kuhlman says as soon as the new plan is ready, residents in the area will get to see it and give their two cents.

While there isn’t a deadline for it to be complete, Kuhlman hopes the community will be patient in the meantime.

“This isn’t something that’s going to be fixed overnight, it is going to take some time but I want to assure them that Mottville and Green Stream are working as best they can to bring this thing full circle to a happy medium. This will be a safe business to be around,” says Kuhlman.

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