Buckingham mulch fire contained, crews work to put out flames

Crews continued containing a mulch fire in Buckingham through the night that burned for several hours Sunday.

North Fort Myers Fire Department confirmed its crew members and crews with Tice Fire Department fully contained a mulch fire at the corner of Tice Street and Staley Road, but firefighters have continued to work toward putting out the flames as of 10 p.m.

“You could see the smoke all the way from downtown on the other side of the river,” said Tom Robertson in Buckingham. “And you know the color of it, it doesn’t match the clouds, so it sticks out pretty good. The volume of it, you could see it so clear from so far away.”

There was no danger or damages to homes or businesses.

“Usually every year, it’s a little early this year, but we’ve had a dry October,” John Merola said. “I assume it was just the mulch because they have big piles of it. It’ll self-combust.”

As crews continue to put our the flames, it’s recommended to avoid the area.