Your Landscape Mulch Will GO UP IN SMOKE!

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Your Landscape Mulch Will GO UP IN SMOKE!

• Larry G. Steward
• The Ohio State University
• ATI

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BASIC FACTS ABOUT MULCH USE

• Mulches are commonly applied in the landscape for
  a variety of reasons
• Aesthetic Appeal and Color
• Organic Content
• Nutrient Content
• Moisture Modification
• Temperature modification
• Reduction of Weeds
• Dust and Soil Stain Abatement

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Original Research Premise

• Most Commercial and Public Facilities no longer
  allow smoking inside
• Only permitted location for smoking is outside 25
  feet from facility entrances
• These facilities still desire the beauty of
  landscaping including organic mulching
• Consequently, is any mulching material Fire
  Ignition Resistant?

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Mulches Used
1 to 2 Pine Bark Nuggets
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Mulches Used
1 Pine Bark Nuggets
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Mulches Used
Ground Hardwood including Bark
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Mulches Used
Dyed Ground Scrap Wood
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Mulches Used
Composted Yard Waste
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Mulches Used
Pine Straw
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Mulches Used
Oat Straw
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Mulches Used
Cocoa Hulls
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Mulches Used
Ground Cypress
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Mulches Used
Dyed Ground Tires
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Mulches Used
Brick Chips
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Mulches Used
Turf Grass
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Three Ignition Tests

• Discarded burning cigarettes
• Wooden matches
• Propane torch

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Ignition Tests

• Discarded Burning Cigarettes
• Two times- Immediately after applying mulch and
  one year later
• Three cigarettes to each mulch-each a different
  brand
• Preliminary Findings
• Ignition varies to type and brand
• Ignition varies to period of time mulch has been
  place

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Ignition Tests

• Match Ignition
• One test with three wooden matches to each mulch
  sample
• Six months after mulch installed
• Preliminary Findings
• Most all mulches will ignite with this form of
  ignition
• Some may not continue to burn after match is
  extinquished

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Ignition Tests

• Propane Torch
• Fifteen seconds applied to each mulch sample then
  torch removed
• Test done one year after installation of mulch
• Preliminary Results
• Surprisingly even some of the organic mulches
  would not ignite

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Ignition Results 1
Mulches and Cigarettes ( Fresh Mulch with No Old Mulch Under Mulch) Times Ignition Occurred
Oat Straw 2/4
Pine Straw 1/4
Balance of mulches did not ignite
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Ignition Results 2
Mulches and Cigarettes after one year (Matches had same results) Times Ignition Occurred
Ground Recycled Pallets 4/4
Composted Yard Waste 4/4
Shredded Pine Bark 3/4
Oat Straw 2/4
Shredded Cypress 2/4
1 Pine Bark Nuggets 1/4
Rest of Replications 0/4
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• Ignition smoldered and burned down into mulch

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• Same Happened with Compost

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Ignition Results 3
Mulch and Propane Torch LSD 1.19 Ease of Ignition-Torch 7.00
Decorative Ground Rubber 7.00
Pine Straw 6.88
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Ignition Results Additional

• Match ignition of Rubber Chipped Mulch occurred
  every time in later demonstrations along with the
  Dyed Shredded Hardwood Mulch
• Fire in Chipped Rubber Mulch
• Gives off toxic fumes,
• Cannot be extinguished with water in fact water
  spreads the flames
• Extinguished by beating out with a shovel

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Ignition Results 3 Continued
MulchLSD1.19 Ease Of Ignition
Oat Straw 5.00
Shredded Hardwood 4.13
Shredded Cypress 4.00
Ground Recycled Pallets 3.75
2 Pine Bark Nuggets 3.25
1 Pine Bark Nuggets 3.13
Cocoa Shells 2.63
Composted Yard Waste 2.13
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Ignition Results 3

• This compared to the sod rating of 2.13 and the
  brick chips rating of 1.13
• 1 was equal to no flame at the end of the 15
  seconds and 7 had to be extinguished after 1
  minute following exposure to flame

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What Did We Prove?

• Water in mulch will slow ignition
• Age and decomposition of mulch will increase
  ignition probability
• Temperature of igniter can affect ignition
• Exposure time to igniter even at lower
  temperatures will increase ignition
• Certain organic mulches CAN be used near smoking
  locations

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OUR IGNITION RESULTS

• OAT STRAW VERY HIGH
• PINE STRAW VERY HIGH
• GROUND RUBBER TIRES (DYED) VERY HIGH
• SHREDDED PINE BARK, CYPRESS,
• or HARDWOOD--
  HIGH
  
• GROUND DYED PALLETS VERY HIGH
• YARD COMPOST MEDIUM
• PINE BARK CHUNKS-TWO SIZES LOW
• TURF VERY LOW
• COCOA HULLS VERY LOW
• BRICK CHIPS NONE

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RESULTS

• THE THREE NOTED WERE FOUND TO SMOLDER AND BURN
  WITHOUT FLAME FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN AGED FOR
  A YEAR.
• THEREFORE, IF NEW MULCH WERE COVERED OVER OLD
  MULCH, IGNITION OF NEW MULCH COULD OCCUR WHEN
  IGNITION TEMPERATURE IS REACHED. NO MATTER HOW
  LONG TIME HAS PASSED.
• This NOT by spontaneous combustion

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Conclusion One

• In those locations where lit smoking materials
  are discarded, the following mulches should NOT
  be used
• Ground recycled pallets
• Composted yard waste
• Shredded pine bark
• Oat straw
• Shredded cypress
• Ground recycled tires

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FLAMMABILITY OF MULCH

• Recent research on four common Florida mulches on
  flammability was done by Dr. Wayne Zipperer, et
  al U. S. Forest Service, Southern Research
  Station, Gainesville, Florida
• Highest Temperatures Results were on Pine Straw
  and Large Pine Bark, next was Small Pine Bark and
  Lowest Temperature registered on Cypress Mulch

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Conclusion Two

• Where there is a chance of a Firewise
  Landscape/Wildfire Interface, the following
  mulches should NOT be used
• Decorative ground rubber
• Pine straw
• Oat straw
• Shredded hardwood bark
• Ground recycled pallets

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Under Decks
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Around Possible Ladder Trees
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Mulch and Fire

• The Potential for Burning of the Mulch Needs to
  be a Landscaping Consideration
• When Selecting Mulch for a Public or Private
  Landscape
• What the Environmental Conditions are for the
  AreaDry or Wet
• Relationship to surrounding wild areas that have
  potential for wildfire
• Structure material in close proximity to mulch

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Mulch and Fire

• It has not been demonstrated that Spontaneous
  Combustion starts Landscape Mulch Fires due to
  the little depth of mulch.
• Fires are initiated and ignited by outside
  sources in the landscape.

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Possible Spontaneous Combustion Location
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Landscape Mulch Depth
Not enough depth to build up heat if applied
properly for self ignition-Smoke is merely
steam from moisture in mulch
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Relationship to the Wildfire Interface

• Remember the Four Firewise Plant Zones
• Zone 1Structure foundation to 5 feet
• Zone 2---5 feet to 10 feet from structure
• Zone 3---10 feet to 30 feet from structure
• Zone 4---Beyond 30 feet from structure(or
• 100 feet if uphill from wildfire source)

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1
2
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Helps for you in the future

• Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant
  Selector
• Beta CD available from United States Forest
  Service, Northeastern Area State and Private
  Forestry-Contact Ms. Donna Murphy
• 140 trees and shrubs with Firewise ratings, use
  and descriptions and more
• On Line Website
• Under development now in cooperation with both
  Northeastern Area and Southeastern Area-USDA for
  release in 2009
• 500 plants commonly found and used in Eastern U.
  S.

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• Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant
  Selector
• provides information to urban foresters and fire
  prevention
• professionals about how a specific plant species
  might influence the
• movement of fire and the safety of structures in
  fire-prone areas.
• It replaces more generalized flammability lists
  with an easy-to-use,
• searchable database developed using a credible,
  science-based
• ranking process.
• This prototype program includes 150 commonly used
  trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, and grasses
  typically found in residential areas of the
  Eastern United States.
• This tool targets users who are familiar with
  plant material or fire
• prevention principles, but not both, when making
  decisions related to
• managing or planting vegetation on fire-prone
  sites.
• Users can search the database by plant name or
  request plant
• recommendations based on specific needs related
  to fire prevention
• zones, plant characteristics related to
  flammability, or cultural
• preferences. From the generated lists of
  recommendations, users
• can then select a plant, and the Plant Selector
  generates a
• factsheet that summarizes the plants fire
  prevention suitability,
• cultural requirements, urban and utility use, and
  form.

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Any Questions?
Thank You