Bill Smith / CC
A fire in Brackley Beach, P.E.I., that destroyed part of the North Winds Inn and Suites is believed to have started in a flower and mulch bed.
Sixteen executive suites and meeting rooms at the Inn were destroyed in the fire last weekend.
It is believed the fire may has started as the result of an improperly discarded cigarette that was tossed into the mulch or even a piece of glass.
Division Chief for Moncton Fire Prevention Charles Leblanc says mulch can heat up very quickly in extreme temperatures like we had this past week, “Mulch can smoulder for hours, if not days.”
Leblanc says they have had less than a dozen fires that were mulch related over the past couple of weeks, “Mulch will pretty much act similar to compost for example. If you have enough heat that is being generated, obviously you are going to combustion and a fire can start.”
But most of the small fires in mulch in Moncton, had other factors, “Most of the fires we have in our area, have typically been started in a mulch bed, usually by improperly disposed of smoking material.” Leblanc says.
He says with dry conditions, grass and forest fires, are also often started by improperly discarded smoking materials.
