It has been a dry summer and flower pots are being blamed for several fires. The news headings are everywhere!
- “Fire Chief Gord Weir stands outside of a home damaged by a fire …. He suspects the fire may have been caused by peat moss left in an old flower pot” (ref 1)
- “Flower pots became a major Montreal fire hazard” (ref 2)
- “Des Moines fire officials said a flower pot spontaneously combusted Wednesday, causing more than $80,000 in damage to a home” (ref 3)
The facts seem simple. Flower pot soil is made mostly of peat moss, something that burns easily. When it gets too hot it ignites and starts to burn. If the pot is near a home, the house also catches on fire.
What is the real story behind all this? Can peat moss spontaneously combust? Lets have a look at the facts.
