Fires caused by yard machines
 

I'm sure you all knew this, but I did not. I'm about to begin cutting brush with a blade attached to a trimmer and I came across this:

"Lawn mowers, weed trimmers, tractors, chain saws, grinders and welders can ignite wildfires, and Cal Fire responds to more than 1,600 fires each year started by people using equipment improperly." The article clarified that "improperly" includes doing yard work at the wrong time, like during a drought.

One cause is hitting a rock with a brush cutter blade, throwing a spark. This makes me nervous because it can be hard to see rocks in dense vegetation. I will pay more attention to this.

If it makes you that nervous keep your garden hose nearby.

When you are old and minimally mobile, what do you want to remember?

Yard work?

Everything else?

You now have a great excuse to defer that chore for "safety reasons".

Step away from the trimmer and enjoy your day! :D

Ha, that reminds me. I always had a hose at the ready when I burned brush. One day another thing I never heard of happened: my SMALL brush fire caused a nearby maple to start burning at the roots and then inside the trunk. I had no idea what was happening because there were no flames. I also didn't realize that this tree was rotten inside as it had a healthy crown. I noticed a bit of smoke coming from the tree and then the trunk started to glow. (This was in the middle of my pine woods, though I was burning in a small clearing.) I grabbed the hose and hosed down the tree. But the hose was two feet short of reaching the rear of the tree. I had to call the fire department. Very embarrassing. But you know, the garden hose would never have been sufficient to put out the fire inside the tree. It took the fire department 45 minutes to extinguish it. I never burned brush again on my property.

Boy, do I ever wish I had read your post earlier.