Hot, dry weather is causing gardeners to work a bit harder this summer. Recently, a new issue has hit the news. Fire officials in a number of Ontario communities are pointing towards potting soil as the cause of fires.
A fire in The Blue Mountains is believed have been sparked by potting soil that spontaneously combusted.
Vaughan Fire and Rescue Services officials believe that potting soil inside a planter spontaneously combusted. They say the soil had not been watered for about five days.
Toronto fire officials say the hot and dry conditions contributed to a house fire last
week. They say it started in a garden planter. Toronto officials believe the flames broke out when the sun cooked the dry peat moss and plant material in the metal planter until it began to smoulder.
The problem occurs with potting soil that contains peat moss and fertilizer, both of which are very flammable. With those materials and enough heat, it’s possible for a fire to start.
Insurance companies have released warnings that potting soil contains large volumes of peat moss; when peat moss gets too dry, it becomes highly flammable. “On top of that, you’ll often find shredded wood, bark, Styrofoam and vermiculite in potting mix. Like peat moss, all of these ingredients ignite easily under dry conditions” warns the insurance companies.
Sometimes the spark comes from a cigarette stubbed out in the potting soil may cause a fire. At other times, the sun’s heat is enough to start a fire. Either way, once the soil ignites, fertilizers in the mix will accelerate the flames.
Gardeners should take the following precautions to ensure their home is safe from fire:
• Water potted plants regularly. Make sure the soil around your potted plants stays moist. Keep in mind that the soil in pots dries out more quickly than soil in garden beds, so plan on more frequent watering.
• Keep ashtrays handy. While regular garden soil may extinguish a cigarette, the same isn’t true for potting soil. Make sure smokers have a safe place to dispose of their butts, so they aren’t tempted to use your pot of geraniums instead.
• Use clay pots where possible. If a fire breaks out, a clay pot will contain it better than other types of pots.
• Keep potting soil away from combustible materials, such as firewood, stacks of old newspapers, aerosols, paint solvents, gasoline and cleaning products.
• Dispose of unused potting soil. Unused soil will dry out quickly and become a fire hazard. If you have any left over, spread it on your garden beds.
