A small city in Alabama has been plagued by a persistent layer of smoke and local officials have traced the haze back to a former textile factory.
According to the Daily Home, the smoke is coming from a former Crown Textile manufacturing plant, which has been vacant for more than 20 years. The local fire chief told Talladega city officials that the plant’s current owners have been clearing and burning brush and some boards accumulated inside the property. And since the facility doesn’t have a roof, the smoke is easily spreading throughout the town.
Interim Fire Chief John Tyson said the current owners didn’t notify the city or seek a burn permit, which he said he would not have granted anyway. While the local fire department is continuing to monitor the blaze, it’s opting not to put it out since no hazardous materials are being burned and fighting a fire that large would require millions of gallons of water. Also, knocking the blaze down too low could result in carbon monoxide being released.
For now, the people of Talladega are being asked to be patient while the blaze burns out. As for the owners, it’s unclear what they’ll do with the property once the fire is out, but they can likely expect some type of punishment for burning without a permit.
Crown Textile was a textile manufacturer that specialized in producing interlinings for garments. It celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 1995 but filed for bankruptcy protection the following year. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the company blamed its financial troubles on increases in raw material prices, which were not passed onto its customers.
