Update: Compost Fire on Wilmington-Tewksbury Line Continues to Smolder

Update 1 p.m.- A compost pile in Wilmington began to smolder and burn at approximately 1:10am this morning, according to Tewksbury Fire Chief Mike Hazel.

The pile consists primarily of leaves and is located off South Street in Tewksbury not far from Route 93, according to Hazel. 

Residents in the area may experience intermittent smoke and odor conditions from this smoldering fire depending on wind conditions. 

The owners of the composting and yard waste disposal business, BMC Corporation of Billerica, are working to extinguish the fire by isolating and capping the pile using clean fill and sand that is available on site. This process may take several days to complete. 

The progress of this operation is being monitored by the Wilmington and Tewksbury Fire Departments and Boards of Health for safety and air quality in the area. 

The Fire Departments will not commit resources to the extinguishment of this fire at this time due to the remoteness of the operation and a limited water supply. The cause of this fire is under investigation. 

If you are in Tewksbury and experience any safety or health concerns as a result of this event, please call the Tewksbury Fire Department at (978) 640-4410 or the Tewksbury Board of Health at (978) 640-4470. 

Original Post- Firefighters responded to a large brush fire Thursday morning in Tewksbury near the Wilmington line, according to scanner reports.

The fire originated in a compost pile, according to the North Reading police department twitter. 

According to reports, the fire originated off of South Street in Tewksbury and moved toward I-93. 

Stick with Wilmington Patch for more on this story as it becomes available.