The Helotes Mulch Pile

In a little town just NW of San Antonio called Helotes (corn) some guy with a business involving compost and mulch and dirt (sorry, I don't know the specifics or really care) accumulated a giganting pile of the stuff.
Really huge.
Pictures can't convey how big this pile is without something to provide scale.
Not a mountain, but certainly bigger than a foothill.
At first, the town and state were worried about the safety of the thing, but an "expert" they hired said that because it's 80% dirt, it was impossible for it to burn.
Right.
It's been burning since mid-December.

At first, the owner and other interested parties argued about who was going to put the fire out, if it was even possible, who would pay for it, how it could be done, etc.
After the smoke aggravated everyone nearby, including a school, the Texas Commission On Environmental Quality took over, and hired contractors to put out the fire under their direction.


First they built a berm around the pile, seen above at the bottom, to catch and re-use the water sprayed on the fire. Then they started pulling the pile apart and hosing it down.
After over three million gallons of water, it was discovered that wells half a mile away were becoming contaminated by the dirty sooty water.
This means the nastiness can make it into our aquifer, the sole supply of clean water for 1.5 million people.

So now everything is on hold while a new plan is formulated.
Good luck, dummies.
I recommend getting Christo to cover it with an giant red tarp.