Body
No, they haven’t revived the traditional Homecoming bonfire. This conflagration was set by City employees on Monday morning at the municipal brush pile, where crews had waited several days for the perfect wind conditions—not too gusty and not too still—in order to set the burn and clear the area for the next round of grass clippings, amputated tree limbs and other combustible organic matter. The perimeter of the brush pile was so large, it took several City employees to light the edges, and then to monitor for any potential outbreaks. The heat from the flames was so intense that, at some point, a small twister formed in the dirt nearby, offering a perfect example of the well-known phenomenon that smoke and heat from extreme fire creates its own weather. City Public Works Director Tommy Wyatt pronounced the fire “a perfect burn,” saying the operation went off without a hitch. “Our procedure is to light the fire and try to have it out the same day, then firewatch it all night,” Wyatt said. “At first light of the next day, we take our equipment, push everything into a pile, and cover it all with dirt to keep it from smoking.” For residents needing to dump grass or limbs over the next few days, a temporary disposal area has been established nearby, marked by a yellow gate and signage.
