According to a Facebook post on the Acushnet Fire & EMS page, the Fire Department responded to a mulch fire in the center of town. The resident discovered a 6×10-foot area burning with flames in contact with the vinyl siding.
The resident extinguished the fire and the FD used 125 gallons of water making sure it was out. The cause was determined to be “discarded smoking materials.”
The department warns that the mulch can dry very quickly in the warm weather.
According to the state’s Department of Fire Services, mulch is a combustible material that can catch fire easily from discarded smoking materials, and hundreds of fires each year are started that way.
Regulations prohibit mulch from behing spread within 18 inches of combustible exteriors of buildings. Residents with six units or less are exempt, but all homeowners are encouraged to follow the safe practice.
The size of mulch piles is also limited because large piles can spontaneously combust from the heat they generate.
For tips on how to handle mulch visit https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mulch-fire-safety.
The Acushnet Fire Department responded to a call for a mulch fire that resulted in this damage to the vinyl siding of a home in the center of town on 8/12/19. The AFD urges caution in handling mulch in the hot weather, and especially cautions against improper discarding of smoking materials, which is the cause of this fire. Photo from the Acushnet Fire & EMS Department Facebook page.
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