Riding Lawn Mower Fire

We’re still in the middle of summer and right in the middle of lawn mowing season.  Everyone knows that lawn mowing is a necessary chore that has to be done.  Along with mowing the lawn comes keeping the lawn mower in good condition.  It’s very easy to neglect the mower once the mowing is done and not give a second thought to maintaining your mower.  So, what else is there besides changing the oil and replacing the blade every couple of years?  The answer is keeping the mower clean.  The grass clippings that accumulate on just about every surface of a mower can dry and become combustible.  But, nobody thinks about the possibility of a fire occurring after they’ve just finished cutting their grass.  The pictures below show what can happen to a riding lawn mower when it is not properly cleaned after each use.  This particular machine was stored in a warehouse when it ignited.  Luckily, the fire set off the sprinkler system and extinguished the fire before any real damage occurred.    

Riding mower engine fire caused by lack of maintenance

Dry/combustible grass debris observed on deck of riding mower

We know that the machine was not cleaned prior to storing because a similar machine was stored beside the one that ignited and also had dry grass clippings and on it.  The second mower is shown below. Fires are not limited to riding mowers. They can also occur in engine driven push mowers and large commercial machines. Keeping your mower clean is very simple to do. You can use a brush or an air blower. If your machine is equipped with a hose connection, you can wash away the debris. It really doesn’t matter what you use as long as you keep your mower clean.

Dry/combustible grass debris observed on deck of second mower

The Heating Season Begins…

As autumn progresses, daily temperatures begin to drop.  And so the heating season begins.  It’s that time of year when particular attention should be paid to making sure that your furnace is in good operating condition.  This means that the blower motor and burners should be thoroughly cleaned, old filters should be replaced, and the cyclic operation tested to make sure that everything works properly.  The cyclic operation is tested simply by turning up your thermostat to a temperature above the ambient where the burners should ignite and the blower motor should begin circulating air.  When the thermostat is turned down to a temperature below the ambient, the burners should turn off and the blower motor should also stop after a few minutes.  If you furnace is in a closet, make sure that anything stored in the closet that is combustible is removed and stored elsewhere or discarded.  If you will be using a gas logs unit, be sure that the burner and logs are free from dust and lint before using.  In addition, be sure that the unit is properly ventilated, your chimney damper is open or you have a window open to draw in air with a non-vented appliance.  Gas ranges are NOT intended to be used as heating appliances – please do not light all burners and keep it going indefinitely.  Carbon Monoxide can fill an enclosed room and become deadly.  Electric furnaces do not have this problem because they are not gas burning appliances.  However, heat can eventually cause wiring insulation to become brittle and short circuits can occur, leading to fires in homes and businesses.  When the heating demand is increased on boiler applications, pumps should be checked to make that water flow is not restricted and that all safety devices are operational.  Similarly, in geothermal applications water flow is critical in heat transfer between the heat source and the heat sink.  It is imperative that all piping, pumps and controls be inspected to assure proper operation and the prevention of loss due to fire.  Lastly, if you don’t know how to service your heating equipment, call a qualified service company!