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Wednesday, September 30, 1998 INSIDE ■ Horoscope 2 ■ Events calendar 3 / ■ Crossword puzzle 3 ■Classified 3 i�e e etin Tracy smo efrom By Rob Nelson Lightfoot, who lives in the Valley. time of year. There's not more wind isn't blowing," Olson said. Record Staff writer American Classic subdivision in A compost fire that started last smoke coming from the tire pile "You can't even go outside." south Tracy. "And it's been a lot week near Vernalis is also con- now, it's just staying closer to the The problem is fall. With the TRACY — It was midnight and worse in the last few days than it's tributing to the Valley haze. ground." change of seasons comes an obvi- the house stank, said Gary been all summer." But only with the arrival of fall Which equates to more sleep- ous change in weather patterns, Lightfoot, a 52-year-old Tracy res- American Classic sits only a few has the smoke begun to settle less nights for Lightfoot and oth- several of which have conspired to ident. And not just any "forgot to miles from S.F. Royster Tire over populated areas. ers who live near the smoldering keep the tire smoke from blowing take out the garbage" stink, but a Disposal, the tire junkyard that's "We've gotten some calls recent- tire pile. Residents have been out of the Valley like it did all toxic, debilitating odor that stung been burning since a spark from ly from residents concerned that forced to close their windows in summer, Spagnoli said. Lightfoot's throat raw and kept a weed trimmer ignited the pile there appears to be more smoke," the past week lest the stench of Fust, the wind isn't as strong as him and his wife up half the in early August. More than 7 mil- said Jim Spagnoli, a spokesman burning rubber waft into their it used to be, said Mike Smith, a night. lion tires have gone up in flames for the California Environmental homes, said Ange Olson, who Wes „ meteorologist with the National The aroma of smoldering tires. since then, sending clouds Protection Agency. But the levels off of MacArthur Boulevard about Weather Service. For the first sev- "The smell was so bad the other of acrid smoke billowing of toxicity in the area are on a two miles north of the tire yard. night, is woke us up," said , % • ,,over parts of the Central par with historical levels for this "It just smells so bad when the Please see SMOKE,RW3