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[Gaborn]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A fire that did $20,000 in damages to a northeast Arkansas home wasn't caused by an electrical problem or burning food or arson, an insurance investigator concluded.

Instead, the dead plants did it, according to a report summary provided to the homeowner, Brian Duncan.

"The fire was caused by self-heating through decomposition of organic materials contained within a plastic flowerpot," the Aug. 25 letter from State Farm Insurance Co. said.

Or, in layman's terms, spontaneous combustion.

Duncan, whose home is a few miles south of Paragould, said the flowerpot had contained dead, decomposing flowers and potting soil that his wife had planted in the summer of 2009. Paragould is about 150 miles northeast of Little Rock.

"She had intended on repotting (the flowers)," Duncan said. But they sat on the porch, unwatered, and eventually died.

He said it was clear where the July 25 fire had begun, because the burning flowerpot and plants charred a hole in the porch and they fell to the ground several feet below.

Still, Duncan said he was surprised at the conclusion contained in the letter. Duncan provided The Associated Press with a copy.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the blaze and Duncan's father-in-law was able to put it out with a garden hose even before firefighters from a nearby volunteer fire department arrived.

But it still caused some damage.

Duncan, 51, CEO of Craighead Electric Cooperative, said the blaze charred decking around the hole where the flowerpot had been, and caught the home's vinyl siding on fire. He said the heat broke a sidelight window next to the front door, and his air-conditioning system sucked in smoke from the fire.

"The house was full of smoke," he said.

The smoke damage inside the 15-year-old home, Duncan said, meant his family had to repaint the entire interior of the 2,200-square-foot home and replace the carpeting, in addition to replacing the vinyl siding on the front of the house and the wooden decking of the porch.

Duncan said that, since the fire, he had begun spreading the word about the potential fire hazards of dead plants.

A fire marshal in nearby Jonesboro, Jason Wills, said such an occurrence was rare.

Story Here

 

[Zeppu]

Fucking spontaneous combustion, how does it work?

 

[Kraftwerk]

 

[JGS]

At work, I had to call the fire dept because of a fire started in the mulch (possibly fertilizer) of our landscaping. I'm not sure if it's the same reasons, but the firemen said when it's hot and dry, fire can start out of the blue in those cases.

 

[Gaborn]

At work, I had to call the fire dept because of a fire started in the mulch (possibly fertilizer) of our landscaping. I'm not sure if it's the same reasons, but the firemen said when it's hot and dry, fire can start out of the blue in those cases.

Yeah, it kinda blows my mind that this is possible.

 

[Escape Goat]

We had a fire in my apt complex yesterday. Apparently some mulching compound ignited and caught fire. I bet some kid threw their cig into the brush or something.

 

[JGS]

We had a fire in my apt complex yesterday. Apparently some mulching compound ignited and caught fire. I bet some kid threw their cig into the brush or something.

Sounds like the same thing as my case. No ciggies or anything, just heat and chemicals.

It was a miracle I was working late as the fire apparently didn't start roaring until 30 minutes after we closed. Someone called my office and told me there was heavy rolling smoke outside the building. When I looked out, it was blazing.

The firemen had to douse it heavily because it started so deep in the mulch

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

So apparently today is the day I'm going to clean up some of the dead leaves around the window :lol.

 

[gdt]

/looks at the yard

I'm watchin' you, motherfucka!

 

[DietRob]

 

[krae_man]

I can't be the only one who thought this thread was about an insurance company making up a dumb excuse to not pay a claim.

I guess it would depend on where the plants were located as I would think it would require sunlight.

 

[Gaborn]

I can't be the only one who thought this thread was about an insurance company making up a dumb excuse to not pay a claim.

I guess it would depend on where the plants were located as I would think it would require sunlight.

Plants usually do.

 

[levious]

I expected to see that modern family gif of the flowers catching on fire

 

[pakkit]

Are we trusting insurance investigators now? They're always looking for an out.

 

[krae_man]

Plants usually do.

Well it would need to be pretty strong. Way stronger then a plant would need to survive.

 

[dskillzhtown]

I have like 6 bags of mulch in my garage. I better do something with them soon.

 

[Koomaster]

I hate when beautiful flowers die... then burst into flames!

 

[monchi-kun]

I hate when beautiful flowers die... then burst into flames!

If you eat it i bet you can spit out fireballs