St. Lucie County - Monday September 12, 2022: Smoke continues to rise from the ongoing Glades Road mulch fire and a number of St. Lucie County residents have taken to social media to express their concern about the fumes, and frustration with the lack of response from county officials.
"A chemical smell all through the Gatlin area," wrote one person. "Smelling smoke by US 1 and Prima Vista," wrote another on the Port St. Lucie Breaking News website.
The Glades Mulch fire began on August 25th and was brought under control the next day, but it’s been smoldering and smoking ever since and Laura Belliard is concerned.
“For the last week I’ve been getting nausea, I’ve been getting migraines," she told WQCS news, "and then, over the weekend it was so bad that the smell just started to come into my house.”
Health and fire officials have advised residents to avoid strenuous activity, stay indoors when the smoke blows their way and keep the fresh air intake on their air conditioners closed, but Belliard says it hasn’t helped.
"I’ve been doing everything they’ve been recommending and it’s done absolutely nothing with helping it," said Belliard. "Even this morning my nose has been feeling like its on fire and its been so itchy along with my eyes that its just making my life so difficult to manage because the smoke gets so intense.”
Belliard lives in Port St. Lucie, she says it’s a good 20-minute drive from the site of the smoking mulch at Glades Cut Off and Range Line Road.
“Oh, you can smell the smoke kind of wherever you go now in this town," she said. "They haven’t said anything to the toxicity of the mulch. They haven’t said anything at all related to the health concerns for it. I’m prior military, so its very reminiscent of the burn pits. So, I’m almost certain that there is plastic and other material involved. “
The Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County does not analyze air quality for toxicity, that is the responsibility of the Florida Department of Environmental Health and an analysis of the possible contaminants in the smoke is not yet available.
