Fire chief cautions mulch use

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — The town’s fire chief has a growing concern about the use of cedar mulch, particularly in front of local businesses in the Shiretown.
    Chief Milton Cone said his department has already responded to several mulch fire calls, despite the wet, rainy weather over the past few weeks.
    “We are finding a lot of people are purchasing cedar bark mulch to decorate around flower beds and in front of store fronts,” Cone said. “One of the things we have found is people are just not aware of how flammable this type of material can be. Some types of mulch are more easily ignited than others.”
    Shredded bark mulch can easily catch fire by a discarded cigarette or match, the chief said. Over the past few years, the Houlton Fire Department has responded to numerous calls for mulch fires in front of local businesses.
    “Just last week, at Walmart, we got a call that the mulch was on fire,” he said. “It does have the potential to ignite and can spread quickly.”
    Cone said he recommends using a type of mulch that has larger wood chips or crushed rocks and also encourages individuals and businesses to water the mulch from time-to-time to prevent flare-ups.
    “A lot of people just don’t realize how flammable this material can be,” he said. “Businesses should especially be aware of this or not use cedar bark mulch. If they have a lot of traffic and see discarded cigarettes on the ground, they may not want to use this type of mulch.”