If you’ve been smelling smoke on the west side of the city, you’re not alone. A large mulch fire started Tuesday evening at Detroit Mulch Co. that continued to burn on Wednesday near Lyndon and Prairie streets. 

Firefighters are still working to extinguish the mulch, which covers a lot that is hundreds of yards long. Some piles of mulch are 20 feet high. 

The smoke is affecting air quality in areas around the region, and residents in nearby neighborhoods are urged to keep their windows closed. 

Crews are pouring water on the fire, but officials say they don’t know how long it will take to completely put out the blaze. No injuries or damages to nearby structures have been reported. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024:

• United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain warned of a potential strike against Stellantis during his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.
• Ford Motor Company announced Wednesday that it’s changing its plans for producing electric vehicles.
• AAA Michigan is reminding drivers to watch out for students as they head back to school. The first day of classes for the Detroit Public Schools Community District will be Monday, Aug. 26.
• Gas prices in metro Detroit are falling headed into the Labor Day holiday weekend, averaging around $3.50 per gallon — 10 cents per gallon less than last week.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The Detroit Fire Department is working to train more city employees and residents in hands-only CPR.

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As part of the city’s ongoing effort to make Detroit a “HEARTSafe Community,” the department is teaming up with the Detroit Department of Transportation and various other city departments to train employees and ensure municipal buildings and buses are equipped with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.

If performed immediately, CPR and AED use can double or triple a person’s chance of survival from an out of hospital cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.

DDOT, under the leadership of Interim Director G. Michael Staley, was one of the first city departments to request its Transportation Equipment Operators (TEOs) be trained in hands-only CPR.

“Having our TEOs trained in hands-only CPR and AED use can literally mean the difference between life and death,” said Staley in a statement. “The response we’ve gotten from our employees is very encouraging. Safety is the number one priority at DDOT, and this training underscores that commitment.”

Last year the city joined the Pulse Point AED app that shows a registry of publicly available AEDs in the area. To join a training course for CPR or to learn more about how to use an AED, visit the city of Detroit website or call 313-596-2959 to submit a request for a training session in your neighborhood.

Other headlines for Friday, Aug. 9, 2024:

• A federal court has dismissed all charges in a lawsuit Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed filed against the teachers union.
• Detroit’s annual Ribs and R&B festival is taking place this weekend, Aug. 9-11, at Hart Plaza.
• The 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise is coming up next Saturday, August 17.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.