Let’s all please pause momentarily for a public safety message.

“The thick black smoke was hard to miss. It curled into the sky, swallowing tops of palm trees. . .”

“. . . tumbling down like a shroud over the downtown streets . . .”

Public Safety. A reminder for City of Lake Worth residents. What to do if you see smoke.

Don’t go searching for adjectives or fear that smoke may be coming from a marijuana dispensary across the street. Don’t frighten the children with any silly schemes! Stay calm. You don’t want those kids running across Dixie Hwy. or into a nearby store selling cigarettes and beer. And don’t make the mistake assuming the smoke you see is just harmless smoke from a crematorium and forget about it. Don’t do anything else until you do this first: 

If you see smoke,
call 911 immediately.

If there is smoke coming from a structure, there may be people inside and possibly pets too. 


Afterwards go on Facebook and social media and
tell all your friends about your experience!

If you see suspicious or unusual smoke, even without presence of flames, immediately stop what you’re doing and call 911.

However, if you see any smoke at all coming from a crematorium call 561-840-4500 or contact the Palm Beach County, Florida, Dept. of Health. If you wish to schedule an appointment to discuss this matter, call 1-855-438-2778, or use this link. Another option is to write a letter to:

Palm Beach County Dept. of Health, 800 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, Florida, 33401.

And while you’re at it, ask the Dept. of Health if it’s OK for an elementary charter school to be just a few blocks away from a crematorium.

If you’re interested in learning more about this issue, you may find these articles in the Post interesting, including an explanation why, “at one point in our City’s history, there was nothing stopping crematoriums to operate a business in Lake Worth”.

From a Post reporter in 2015:

“The thick black smoke was hard to miss. It curled into the sky, swallowing the tops of palm trees and tumbling down like a shroud over the downtown streets . . .”