Angry neighbors left to clean up after bonfire bash on Lake St. Clair

Two words can perhaps sum up what happened on Lake St. Clair this weekend: shortsighted and irresponsible. 

Kevin Koth and neighbors have spent hours cleaning after an annual bonfire Saturday night in front of the 11 Mile Marina. 

"Wire, metal, nails, plastic, beer cans, bottles, whiskey bottles, everything. You name it," says Koth. "It looked like they burned a couch." They say this happens every year, but enough is enough. 

"We were pulling wires out, four five feet long out of the ice," says Koth. 

But their cleanup won't suffice for what's lurking beneath the surface.

"When it melts, it's going to either sink or end up on somebody's shoreline," Koth says. 

"There's no difference if it's the middle of the summer and you walk up to any of your seawalls and throw all your trash in the lake. There's no difference at all," St. Clair Shores Mayor Kip Walby adds. 

Walby says St. Clair Shores police are now investigating the dumping, and a crew is planned to come out for a more extensive clean up in the coming days. 

"This is where we like to come and spend our time and have fun, bring our families and enjoy the water. When you got crap like this, it's just polluting the lakes," says Walby. 

The guys cleaning up the mess tonight say they're not sure who was responsible for this big bonfire and party this weekend, but the issue may be brought up at the next council meeting so the city can step in and keep this from happening again.