Company Reaches Settlement After 5-Day Mulch Fire

A northern Illinois pallet company that was the site of a massive mulch fire is agreeing to pay thousands in a legal settlement.

The Rockford Register Star reports Northwest Pallet Supply also agreed to stop manufacturing or storing mulch on the site in Poplar Grove, about 15 miles northeast of Rockford.

The 2012 fire burned for five days and required more than 100 agencies and 4 million gallons of water to extinguish.

Investigators believe the fire began when large piles of decomposing mulch generated enough heat to spark a fire.

As part of the settlement, the property’s owner can’t store large amounts of mulch on the site. Meanwhile, the company is paying $4,500 to cover Boone County sheriff’s department overtime. Northwest Pallet donated $16,000 to the local fire district.