The battle over Harrisonburg's mulch ordinance is heating up. Firefighters said the ordinance will save lives. While property managers said it breaks state law. Now, they could challenge the Friendly City in court.

Originally, the ordinance required people to remove combustible landscaping, like mulch, from a certain distance from around their buildings. But, recently, a new state law passed that bans cities from making such laws about landscaping. So, Harrisonburg adjusted its ordinance.

Now, if you have mulch, you can keep it. You just can't add it within 18 inches on the side of a building --excluding personal homes. Organizations like the Virginia Apartment Management Association, accuse the city of not-following the law with this new phrasing.

Firefighters say the association doesn't fully understand the dangers of a mulch fire. They said one at night could end with a death. "Very few people are out roaming around at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, and it can be a very advanced fire before it ever gets detected by anybody," said Harrisonburg Fire Chief Larry Shifflett.

The association said they're willing to sort this out in court.

"They had the opportunity to do that; they could have done that," responded Chief Shifflett. "They could have taken us to court in the very first challenge to this rather than going to the General Assembly and let the court decide whether or not the ordinance was legal. They choose not to do that."

Shifflett said he's confident the city is in the right and is ready for them.

The CEO of the association sent this statement to WHSV:







