https://www.theburn.com/tag/house-fire-mulch/





Science is both cool and strange.


Edit:  Also an archived thread from '05.

That's the problem with self combusting mulch;  pops up in one thread, then another then another . . .

Back when I was 12 or so, I managed to burn down half my mom's garden by dumping the wet yard clippings in a pile, rather than spreading them out as asked.

That only happened once.

Now my paranoia is surging.   Haven't been home in a while and the tree companies are dumping more mulch than I know what to do with it. I instructed for several dump piles to avoid thermal build. Freshly chipped green trees can get hot quickly.  

I've noticed greenhorns bail damp hay and have it cook off too.   Follow the science ??

That's my sister's neighborhood.  She sent me a pic of the smoke in the distance.  It was well-involved before people started calling it in

Self-inflicted, double-facepalm for me!  


I think I heard of this phenomenon in college, but had completely forgotten about it.


Don't pile mulch too high?  

Don't post while sleepy.  

I saw large mulch piles smoking along Rt. 7 last fall. They were using those industrial tractor trailer size chippers to shred all those trees they were taking down to widen the road around Colvin Run mill. Those piles were about 12-15ft high. Some were smoking really well and this was in cool weather. Never heard any ignited.

On a related note, had a friend lose his entire house with his dog in it. He had been using linseed oil to dress up some reenacting gear on the back deck and left a rag draped over a woven plant basket to dry out. He lives in a rural area--went to the grocery store and came home to a total tragedy.