From the Seattle Times,
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001991721_manure29m.html
Four-day manure blaze tamed with wet cow poop
By The Associated Press
FERNDALE, Whatcom County - Crews fighting a smoky, stinky blaze in the
dried crust of a three-acre manure lagoon on a dairy farm finished
smothering the flames yesterday with more of the same - a blanket of wet
cow poop.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, said Assistant Fire Chief
Larry Hoffman with Whatcom County Fire District No. 7.
Hoffman received an earful of complaints about the smoke and odor as the
fire burned for four days on the farm outside Ferndale.
"We're not the most popular department in town," he said. "It's
offensive, the smell is. It stinks."
How bad?
"In your worst nightmare, if you can imagine burning manure combined
with a brush fire - this sort of woody undertone."
After working with water and foam, crews Tuesday began spraying the wet
manure, which squelched flames on the leading edge of the fire.
Yesterday, a giant pump applied another layer of wet manure - and that
seemed to do the trick.
"It's out!" Hoffman said last night, at least "about 98-99 percent out,"
although some small pockets were still burning in the crust.
As many as 18 firefighters at a time worked on the blaze. A fire break
had been dug around the pond, so the flames couldn't leap elsewhere on
the 1,200-acre, 700-head dairy farm, Hoffman said.
He declined to identify the owners but said they had been "extremely
cooperative."
The cause of the fire was not known. It started Sunday in brush growing
on the dry 3- to 14-foot crust of manure, wood chips and barn shavings
on the surface of the 24-foot-deep lagoon.
"We're investigating the possibility it was an errant cigarette butt, or
it could be spontaneous combustion from composting," Hoffman said,
describing the lagoon as "basically a big compost pile."
--
Gregory Gadow
techbear@serv.net
http://www.serv.net/~techbear
If it is the act of a traitor to speak out against the
unConstitional acts of my government, to excercise my
rights guaranteed by that Constitution -- the right to
publish my opinions and speak my thoughts, the right
to petition for a redress of grievances, the right to
be secure in my person and property against search and
seizure without due process of law -- then I am a traitor.
And God grant us many, many more traitors, for we are in
dire need of them.
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