CINCINNATUS – A Cortland County landowner is facing charges from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation after multiple fire departments including four from Chenango County fought for several hours to extinguish a pile of truck tires that had caught on fire.

According to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Public Information Officer Kevin O. Frazier, at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday DEC Environmental Conservation Officers responded to reports of a tire fire at 5935 Staley Road in the Town of Cincinnatus in Cortland County.

While Frazier didn’t name the individual charged, he said the landowner started the fire, and is facing three charges. He said the charges are disposing of waste other than authorized by the DEC, a violation; burn, cause, suffer, allow or permit the burning of any materials in an open fire other than as allowed, a misdemeanor; and setting fire on or near forest land and leaving such fires unattended and unquenched, a violation.