Burning pile contaminated

Two nearby residents have made numerous complaints to the city.

By Mark Grossi, Pablo Lopez
The Fresno Bee

(Updated Saturday, January 18, 2003, 5:13 AM)

Amid a burning, two-story-tall mound of wood, authorities have found twisted metal, plastic, soiled carpet and various automobile parts -- adding contaminants to a potent plume.

Questions about the pile and the Fresno government's knowledge of the hazards are stirring even as authorities prepare a 10- to 15-day assault on the fire at a cost of up to $500,000.

Lee Crippen, whose father, Archie, owns the burning pile, on Friday lamented the fire.

"It ruined our business," he said. "We're good at what we do, and we had a good reputation around town for house demolitions. It's one big mess."

Fresno County and the city of Fresno on Friday night declared a local emergency. The action includes a request to the governor to declare a state of emergency, which could free up more state money to fight the fire.

State and federal authorities Friday said earth-moving equipment this morning will begin the labor-intensive job of tearing apart the 100,000 cubic yards of burning wood and rubble at the southwest Fresno site.

Firefighters will shower the week-old blaze with foam to hold down dangerous microscopic particles floating into the air. As sections of the massive pile are removed, they will be doused and hauled away.

Air quality officials are warning a metropolitan area of 500,000 people to keep their children in their homes this weekend if they smell smoke. The soot particles can trigger asthma and other breathing difficulties.

"If they smell smoke, it means they're breathing these particles," said spokeswoman Josette Merced Bello of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

Meanwhile, city officials said they had not received recent complaints about the Archie Crippen Excavation site at Nielsen and Marks avenues, so they would not have known about the hazard.

City spokeswoman Patti Miller said the city has no funding or staffing to monitor conditional-use permits, such as the one for Crippen's site. Investigations are based on formal complaints.

However, Harlan Kelly Sr., a southwest Fresno resident, said he has been fighting Crippen's operation and other recycling demolitions for years. He took his complaints to City Hall four times, city clerk's records show.

Another area resident, George Finley, said he also has complained for years about the Crippen site.

"The city knows the piles were high and smelled," said Finley, who is a member of the city's Edison-Southwest Fresno Citizens Planning Advisory Committee.

The city in March 2001 investigated Kelly's complaint and found Crippen's operation had "no zoning or code violation at the time," Miller said.

Kelly complained to the City Council again three months later. But he did not file a formal complaint at that time, Miller said. "He just said, 'You guys aren't doing enough,' " Miller said.

The pile -- the size of a football field filled 20 to 25 feet tall -- caught fire Jan. 11. Calm, foggy conditions have allowed particles to accumulate and virtually smoke out portions of Fresno, forcing schools to cancel athletic activities.

Ordinarily, damp, foggy conditions would help hold down a woodland fire. But this fire is buried in a pile, well-protected from the elements. Even a stream of water cannot penetrate well enough to extinguish it.

Though small flames shoot up in different areas of the pile, the intense part of the fire remains deep within.

"The fire is seeking oxygen, like tentacles," said Frank Simpson, spokesman for the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which is taking a lead role in fighting the blaze.

Officials believe the fire started through spontaneous combustion, which occurs when decomposing material in a damp environment creates heat and combines with oxygen to ignite.

Fresno firefighters did not have the expertise or equipment to safely pull the pile apart and stop the fire, city officials said.

The Integrated Waste Management Board, which oversees management of the state's solid waste, was called Tuesday, and federal authorities joined the effort Wednesday.

The state committed up to $300,000 for the work, but officials now believe the fire could cost up to $500,000 to extinguish and clean up.

In most of these situations, the state will attempt to recoup the money. The management board will make that decision.

Site owner Crippen faces possible penalties of $50,000 or more per day from the Valley air district for improperly handling the material in the pile and creating a public nuisance.

Crippen has not received previous notices of violation from the air district for this kind of problem. But in 1992, a Fresno inspector said Crippen violated city code because excessive dust and rodents on the property were detrimental to public health and safety.

The inspector also noted tires, vehicles and other items on Crippen's property -- debris not allowed under his work permit.

Fresno officials said the 1992 matter probably was resolved because there is no indication in city records that Crippen was penalized.

When Crippen's property was annexed to the city in the mid-1980s, Fresno officials honored his Fresno County permit to run a recycling operation. Crippen crushed asphalt and concrete and sold it to developers to build streets and parking lots.

Records also show Crippen had a financial relationship with the city. Since at least December 1982, the city has been paying him to demolish homes. In addition, the city paid him $113,000 to demolish an air tanker base in 1992.

Crippen's contracts were obtained through a competitive bid process, with language in the contracts requiring compliance with all laws, Miller said.

At Crippen's site, Simpson of the Integrated Waste Management Board said the owner was allowed to take 40 tons of material to his site and haul away 40 tons per day.

"Unfortunately, more was coming in than going out," Simpson said. "Everyone knew it was here, but I don't think anyone was paying attention."

Southwest Fresno resident Finley said he and others complained to city officials but were unsuccessful.

Kelly, the other southwest Fresno resident, showed a video of Crippen's tall mounds to the City Council in June 2000. The video also documents tall piles at other recycling and demolition plants in southwest Fresno.

When his efforts didn't produce results, Kelly said he and others filed a complaint with the Fresno County civilian grand jury in November 2000.

"The neighborhood affected is presently suffering from the possible life-threatening effects of fumes, dust and odor," a portion of the complaint said.

The reporters can be reached at mgrossi@fresnobee.com

plopez@fresnobee.com or 441-6330. Staff writer Bill McEwen contributed to this report.

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