Posted on 08/18/2007 1:05:13 PM PDT by Libloather
Spontaneous Combustion On Arlington Playground
Joel Thomas
Reporting
Aug 13, 2007 4:55 pm US/Central
(CBS 11 News) ARLINGTON A new danger has cropped up at some North Texas schools.
It's now so hot that some things are spontaneously combusting.
The wood-chip fiber that's used as mulch on a playground at an Arlington school burst into flames last week.
A surveillance camera at Anderson Elementary School caught the fire on tape. It shows the mulch begin to smolder and then catch fire. It caused significant damage to the playground.
"There just isn't any explanation except spontaneous combustion," said Mac Bernd, Arlington ISD Superintendent.
School district officials say they have never seen anything like it. They tell CBS 11 News that fire officials and the company that manufactured the mulch both say the same thing.
Authorities say recent heavy rain left some material soaked, then it began decomposing in this month's hot weather.
The district is so concerned about the potential for danger that it's replacing the material at the 20 Arlington schools that have the mulch on their playgrounds.
Here are the schools where the mulch is being replaced:
Anderson Elementary
Ashworth Elementary
Beckham Elementary
Crow Elementary
Ditto Elementary
Duff Elementary
Dunn Elementary
Ellis Elementary
Fitzgerald Elementary
Goodman Elementary
Knox Elementary
Kooken Education Center
Larsen Elementary
Little Elementary
Remynfe Elementary
Speer Elementary
Swift Elementary
Thornton Elementary
Wimbish Elementary
Wood Elementary
Superintendent Bernd says pea gravel will replace the wood chips on those playgrounds.
The changes are expected to be complete in the next few days.
Texas children prepare to return to classes August 27th.
We're having a heat wave,
A tropical heat wave,
The temperature's rising,
It isn't surprising,
She certainly can can-can.
She started a heat wave
By letting her seat wave
In such a way that
The customers say that
She certainly can can-can.
Gee, her anatomy
Makes the mercury
Jump to ninety-three.
We're having a heat wave,
A tropical heat wave,
The way that she moves
That thermometer proves
That she certainly can can-can.
Quick!!!! Somebody Call MYTH BUSTERS on this.
This would never of happened if we had elected Al Gore President.
Little to do with any sort of "heat wave".
Might not have had anything to do with a heat wave, but we’re sure as heck having one where I live in Va. We’re headed for the hottest month ever since they started keeping records.
No need for the Mythbusters. I worked on a farm and I’ve seen it happen with straw and hay.
There's one in every crowd.
According to the fire department captain who came to inspect, these two liquids, plus the heat from the dryer caused the fire.
Thank goodness for smoke alarms, and that I was home to hear them, as the laundry room was located upstairs, and I was downstairs at the time. Also, thank goodness the neighbor from across the street was home for lunch, because he came running across the street when he heard the alarm going off, and was able to pretty much have the fire out by the time the firemen got there.
It's amazing how much smoke damage this small fire caused, though. All three floors of that house had to be thoroughly cleaned and repainted. What a mess!
Maybe a smoldering cigarette was the culprit???
I have heard of hay barns catching fire because of the heat generated by decomposition. If the hay still has too much moisture in it when it is put up. I once loaded a trailer mounded up with “green” hay, and the next morning it was smoking. You could stuff your hand deep into the pile and it was too hot to stand.
Many years ago, I was a furniture restorer for an antique store in Milwaukee. The store was closed on Sunday, but I wanted to get a coat of varnish on a table I was workin’ on. On Saturday, the owner’s boyfriend had been using some finish stripper on something, and had thrown the rags into a waste basket. I walked into the store, and my eyes started to burn. Walked into the back room just in time to see the waste basket explode into flames! I put it out, and became her (the owner’s) new boyfriend!
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