Can I have smoke with my latte please?

Driving to the Supermall yesterday, my daughter and I looked up (too far away for her cell phone to capture) a fire on top of a huge debris pile (the fire looked a bit like this, minus the standing trees, which had already been chopped down and thrown into said pile ) that must have been at least a couple stories tall.

It's the lot right across from the Smith Brothers Farm. I had thought this area was under the farmlands preservation protection, but it is instead under the blade, big time.

I saw the smoke this morning, and later called the Auburn Development Department, asking what this was about. I wasn't the first one to call. The nice lady on the other end said that in fact, fire deparatments did respond, and then decided the fire was the landowner's responsibilty put out. When I mentioned farmlands preservation, I just heard crickets chirping on the other end. And no, she didn't know what was going to be built there. I plan to knock on the trailer door and ask tomorrow.

The land is just outside the Auburn City limits, she claimed, so she didn't have any paperwork on it. Today's weather simply drowned the flames, and created the usual lakes along South 277th Street. Caused over the years by all the development in the lowlands. This new (strip mall, used car lot, Starbucks, take your pick) will add to the problem you see after storms like this.

Picture courtesy of US Forest Service