Blue Mountain fire believed to be sparked by planting soil spontaneously combusting

CTVNews.ca
July 21, 2016

A fire in The Blue Mountains is believed have been sparked by potting soil that spontaneously combusted.

The residents of a home on Grey Road 2 were awoken by the smell of smoke on Thursday morning and discovered flames spreading on their back deck.

The residents were able to contain the fire with a garden hose until firefighters could arrive. However, the flames did destroy a small section of the deck.

An investigation was launched and officials believe potting soil that was inside a planter had spontaneously combusted. They say the soil had not been watered for about five days.

According to Vaughan Fire and Rescue Services, potting soil often 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.

No one was injured in the incident.