Interesting day at work

[Tanis143]

Ok, posting here because, well the guy actions belong in stupid stuff. For those that don't know, I work for Cox as a field tech. Today I went to a guys house in a mature neighborhood with tall trees and big, 1 acre lots. Right now that means lots of leaves with dead grass. (You might get an idea of where this is going) I got there, walked to the front door, introduced myself and went to his tv. Found the problem quickly (crappy coax going from wallplate to cable box). Was inside maybe 15 minutes, 20 max. We were wrapping up when his neighbor started banging on the patio door. Customer looks to see where the guy is pointing and his entire backyard is on fire.

We run out (after he takes 40 seconds to put his shoes on) and he grabs a hose while I start stomping on grass fires. This is not just his yard but the neighbors on both sides have fires in their yards as well (one neighbor lost all the grass on his side and front yard). For about 25 more minutes I'm helping him and all his neighbors put out flames around the property. Come to find out he had burned a stump 2 days ago (by his words) and he knew it was still smoldering. That stump almost cost him his deck, two sheds a boat and a tractor. In one neighbors yard a limb and log pile caught and they were letting it burn but hosing down the trees and grass around it.

This was the second grass fire I've put out while on the job, but the first was just a small one set by a kid. Three squirts with my fire extinguisher put that one out. This, well, it was a good size fire. All total I'd say it burned almost 2 acres worth of grass. No structures were burned but he lost several shovels and rakes. Almost lost his deck, but we got the fire in the vegetation put out before the deck wood caught.

Anyway, was an eventful house call. And I spent the rest of the day smelling wood/grass smoke. And as of the time I left the FD was not yet called.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

You can't imagine how many times something similar happens.

 

[NightShade]

You can't fix stupid...

I constantly see houses with grass that has never been mowed and cars parked in the grass. If a fire does come through or the exhaust on a vehicle catches the grass the cars and likely the house will go up. All they have to do is mow and keep the grass short and it makes a world of difference.

Also had a friend north of Lawton that had a house out in the boonies. Fire went through one year and they has some small issues but nothing major. A few people who just let the grass go wild lost their houses. One house was at the top of a hill and while it would have been tough just going through a couple times of year, especially when the grass quits growing and knocking the grass down with a weed eater would have probably saved their house. Out of all the houses out in that area the one that had nearly no issue (other than a small patch of yard burned) was a house that had most everything mowed down. Most of the places were not kept mowed and had issues that year.

And when there is a fire on the news it never fails there is a house, or barn, or car, or rv that catches fire that is in the tall grass unkempt trees.

 

[Tanis143]

You can't fix stupid...

I constantly see houses with grass that has never been mowed and cars parked in the grass. If a fire does come through or the exhaust on a vehicle catches the grass the cars and likely the house will go up. All they have to do is mow and keep the grass short and it makes a world of difference.

Also had a friend north of Lawton that had a house out in the boonies. Fire went through one year and they has some small issues but nothing major. A few people who just let the grass go wild lost their houses. One house was at the top of a hill and while it would have been tough just going through a couple times of year, especially when the grass quits growing and knocking the grass down with a weed eater would have probably saved their house. Out of all the houses out in that area the one that had nearly no issue (other than a small patch of yard burned) was a house that had most everything mowed down. Most of the places were not kept mowed and had issues that year.

And when there is a fire on the news it never fails there is a house, or barn, or car, or rv that catches fire that is in the tall grass unkempt trees.

That's the thing though, the yards (including the customer's) were well kept. Just had a lot of leaves around right now. Its the letting the stump smolder that got me. Have no clue why he left it like that. Of course that is what he told one of his neighbors as we were fighting the fires.

 

[Snattlerake]

Similar occurrence at a motel in Arkansas with a smoke detector going off and no one calls the FD for over an hour until I insisted.

 

[Tanis143]

View attachment 146844 View attachment 146845 View attachment 146846

Similar occurrence at a motel in Arkansas with a smoke detector going off and no one calls the FD for over an hour until I insisted.

I remember that thread, thats even crazier. At least in my situation there were 10-15 people who knew where the fire was and worked together to put it out. When I left the house the only hotspot left was the limb/branch pile and it was contained and watched.

The amazing thing to me was how fast and far it spread. I've never really seen a grass fire up close. But when I walked into the house there was nothing outside in the front. By the time I was finished maybe 20 minutes later I could smell the smoke in the den where I was working but the fire had spread from the stump in the back yard (about 50-60 yards from the house) to cover the entire back yard, his west neighbors entire side and front yard and part of his east neighbors back yard. It got hot enough that several pieces of wood were already charcoal. The winds today were not even that strong, 2-4 MPH with gusts maybe up to 10 if that. If the winds had been higher, man that would have been a disaster as the property is lined with wooded area.

 

[druryj]

I'd browse the rest of the latest threads this morning but I have to go outside and rake leaves right now.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Carelessness and failure to properly supervise and extinguish proper fires and use common sense are the cause of a lot of bigger fires.

 

[DRC458]

Good for you for being there and helping out!

 

[Snattlerake]

While living on the farm it was during the cold winter months that we always carried a shovel and fire extinguisher in our cars and trucks.

Just a spark from a hammer or the heat from a catalytic converter would set the Bermuda grass on fire. You can hardly see short grass on fire because there is almost no smoke and on a bright day it's hard to see the flames. It doesn't flare up or char the dead grass. If there is a breeze it generally follows the wind and you can reasonably follow the track and get in front of it to stop it. If there is no breeze you're in trouble because the fire spreads out 360 degrees. Beating it with a cloth is plain stupid as it fans the flames and spreads more sparks and embers. We found fighting it by watering the grass in front of it is the best way. Second is digging a fire break.