Staff report

Firefighters spent more than two hours Sunday trying to douse a burning mulch pile near Cleveland.

Johnny Morrison, chief of the West Rowan Department, said the fire occurred at Myers Forest Products around 1 p.m. Sunday.

Firefighters from West Rowan, Cleveland, Woodleaf and Franklin worked the fire in large piles of mulch.

Morrison estimated they dumped more than 25,000 gallons of water on the burning piles of wood chips before snuffing out the fire.

Company employees moved some equipment away from the piles to avoid damage.

Morrison said the fire apparently started from the heat built up in the mulch piles.