ASHBURN, Va. — Flammable potting soil has left a family of five without a home.
On Saturday, responders with the Loudon County Emergency Communications received multiple 911 calls for a house fire located on Virginia Rose Place. Crews from multiple units were dispatched just before 10 p.m., when they arrived flames could be seen shooting from the back and the roof of the house.
Crews were able to get a bulk of the fire extinguished within 20 minutes, after an hour they were able to get the fire out. During an investigation the LCFR Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was accidental and caused by spontaneous combustion of potting soil stored under the deck.
The homes located on either side were also damaged by the fire. Damages are estimated at $1.6 million.
“Spontaneous combustion can happen when a decomposing, organic material, such as mulch or potting soil, generates enough heat to ignite without an outside source,” said Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams. “As a result, a large or compacted area of these materials can create sufficient heat to spontaneously combust."
The LCFR Fire Marshal's Office has issued some tips to help prevent fires like this:
- Maintain at least 18 inches of clearance between the edge of a mulch bed and flammable building materials, such as vinyl siding and wooden decks.
- Keep landscaped mulch beds moist if possible.
- Recognize that hot and dry spells, along with windy conditions, allow mulch fires to start more readily.
- Ensure proper clearance to electric devices, such as lights, by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Use non-combustible materials such as river rock, pea gravel or crushed rock for the first 18 inches around the base of a building with combustible siding and around gas and electrical meters.
- Consider using brick or non-combustible exterior siding when building or renovating a structure.
- Use only approved receptacles to dispose of matches, cigarettes, and cigars such as sturdy metal or ceramic containers filled with sand, located away from the structure.
- Immediately report any smoke or fire by calling 911.