Firefighters have contained a brush fire involving a large pile of mulch and tree logs in Druid Hill Park on Sunday morning, according to city fire officials.

Battalion Chief 3 Aaron Wodka with the Baltimore City Fire Department said a report of a brush fire was made around 5:30 a.m.

“When we got here, we discovered it was a large log and mulch fire,” Wodka said.

In a post on the social media platform X at 6:57 a.m., fire officials said no injuries had been reported.

Fire investigators were not called to the scene due to there not being any monetary loss, damage or injuries, according to Wodka. Police redirected traffic entering the park from McCulloh Street and Auchentoroly Terrace as personnel from Recreation and Parks and Baltimore Emergency Management operated bulldozers and a front-end loader to remove burnt logs.

Wodka said that as crews began removing sections of a mulch pile untouched by the fire, they discovered smoldering mulch under the surface.

“That’s what mulch does — it decomposes and gives off heat,” Wodka said.

Although it has not been confirmed, Wodka said combustion of mulch could have been what caused the fire.

Plumes of white smoke continued to emit from the pile around 10 a.m. as firefighters blasted water on the hot spots that the heavy machinery uncovered. Crews will remain on scene in a continued effort to soak all of the mulch and logs to avoid the potential of another fire, according to Wodka.

Maryland is under a burn ban instituted by the Department of Natural Resources due to dry conditions this autumn.

“While most of the state experienced varying amounts of rain earlier this week, fuel and drought conditions continue to be well above normal seasonal highs,” the department said Tuesday. “These conditions coupled with low humidity and gusty winds expected in the next several days will once again raise fire danger across the state.”

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.