MOSCOW MILLS – A recent burning of brush near the Tropicana Village Mobile Home Park in Moscow Mills resulted in several complaints and concerns by local residents.

Over the Veteran’s holiday weekend, city officials received a report there was “a controlled burn of brush” at a new development site, according to Rob Hamlin, Moscow Mills public works superintendent.

“The contractor was instructed to immediately extinguish the fire. They responded by burying the burning brush in mud to prevent further burning and stop the smoke. This action successfully stopped the fire and smoke,” he said.

The city has an ordinance that bans burning within city limits or brings about a public health hazed, interrupts air flow, or causes an inconvenience.

According to Tommy Lucas, construction manager for the contractor, M Turpin Services, the burning started Saturday, Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. when it was raining.

After getting it lit and burning, he said Moscow Mills Mayor Lisa Meyer showed up and said, “‘Hey, you guys aren’t allowed to burn but it’s raining. I’m gonna let it go.’ And I said ‘Ok, thank you.’” So they continued to burn, Lucas says and by the end of the day, the fire was nearly out.

“Sunday we went up there and I just put a couple of big logs on the fire, no big deal,” he said. “Monday came around and the fire was pretty much burnt out. A little smolder. On Monday afternoon, the wind shifted and blew towards Tropicana Trailer Park. I got a call from the mayor and Rob Hamlin, to put the fire out. I said, ‘OK, I’m on it.’ We put the fire out.”

Among the concerns in the aftermath was the smoke blowing across the street and impacting air quality and allegedly causing or irritating the health of some residents.

Alan Sims who lives in the area says there was “so much smoke in the neighborhood” that it “was absolutely terrible” and initially “it was hard to breathe.” But in the days following only his eyes were bothersome.

Lindsey Kelley, a resident of Tropicana, say she had more serious issues.

On Nov. 11, she says air quality was at its worst. Having asthma since childhood, she said she experienced her “first bronchospasm and “could have died” and was hospitalized due to the smoke inhalation.

She says she has filed complaints with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other state entities. Kelley says she is disappointed by the slow lack of response from the city.

Additionally, she says the city ordinance and any fines should be strictly enforced.

“At the very least severe fines and shut down for the despicable disregard for safety, health, and community laws,” she said. “The smoke stopped on Tuesday, November 12, mostly thanks to rain. The contractors also buried their massive fires under large mounds of dirt to help put them out. Sadly, too little too late. Since then, even more folks in Tropicana Village and neighboring subdivisions in Moscow Mills are complaining of difficulty breathing.”

According to Lucas, there has been no more burning of brush. A DNR inspector visited the contractor’s site on Tuesday and could not determine a state violation occurred, per Robert Andrews, DNR Air Unit Supervisor for the St Louis office.