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Engulfed brush pile at Coleman Lake on Sunday night/ Courtesy City of Sulphur Springs
Investigation ongoing, fire chief says
An unknown person or persons burned the large brush pile at Coleman Park on Sunday night, according to the Sulphur Springs Fire Department.
At approximately 9 p.m. on Sunday, SSFD received a call for service at Coleman Park regarding a brush fire. This was the location of a greater than 1400 square yards brush pile composed of debris cleared from inside the park over winter, according to city manager Marc Maxwell.
"We determined because of the wind direction, it was the best decision just to let it burn," said SSFD Chief David James. "I had one of my guys sit on it all night, and when the morning [Monday] came we put the embers out."
The city had been intending to burn the brush pile when the weather was clear with light winds to carry the smoke away and not pollute the air of nearby neighborhoods, Maxwell said.
"The wind was from the right direction," Maxwell said about the Sunday night fire. "The timing wasn't ideal, but it worked out okay. It burned all up."
According to both James and Maxwell, this is not the first time law enforcement has dealt with arsonists in and around Coleman Park.
"This was not the first time they lit something on fire at the park," Maxwell stated.
On April 20 at approximately 10:27 p.m., a Reservoir Street resident contacted police about what she stated was "a grass fire and people out with flash lights" near the lake.
SSPD Officer Nicholas Floyd and Michael Norris responded, and marked the fire as extinguished by 11:01.
According to the resident, this was the third such incident of a small fire near the lake, although the first time she had contacted police.
James said an investigation is ongoing.
"Even though we were intending to burn the brush, it wasn't theirs to burn," James said. "The crime associated would be arson, and we are reviewing security camera footage and pursuing the investigation."