Mulch Can Be A Serious Fire Threat

It may not be something you think of as a hazard, but mulch can spark significant fires, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

Mulch is a decaying natural material that is easily ignited.

In the past five years, 198 fires started outside in mulch-type material that then spread to buildings, the fire marshal's office reports.

A cigarette-lit mulch fire in 2008 in a Peabody apartment complex caused a $6.7 million loss, displaced 750 people temporarily and forced 36 residents of the apartments to lose their homes.

In the wake of several such significant mulch fires over the past few years, the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations is in the final stages of developing a regulation on use, storage and manufacturing of mulch.

But with this spring's drought-like conditions, State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan is urging homeowners and business owners to follow these regulations now to avoid a costly and potentially deadly fire.

Here are some tips from his office:

Keep Mulch 18” from Base of Building

Fire officials recommend placing landscaping mulch 18” away from the base of a building as a fire safety precaution. This creates a small physical barrier between the mulch and the exterior of the building.

Properly Dispose of Smoking Materials

“Improper disposal of smoking materials in bark mulch, used to landscape around buildings, causes many fires at this time of year,” Coan said. “Don’t throw cigarettes butts into mulch; it creates the perfect fire triangle, heat, fuel and air,” he added.

Provide Containers for Safe Disposal of Smoking Materials

“Businesses and property owners that are sprucing up their landscaping should also provide and maintain a safe receptacle for disposing of smoking materials so that people won’t start fires by flicking cigarettes into the mulch,” said Coan.