Extreme Heat Causes Spontaneous Combustion of Playgrounds

by Jennifer Lance on August 15, 2007

Extreme temperatures caused mulch cushioning on a playground in Arlington, Texas to catch fire. Spontaneous combustion is to blame, and 20 playgrounds were closed in response to the danger. Wood chips containing plywood glues and chemicals are more likely to self-combust in high temperatures, thus the playgrounds will be substituting pea gravel for their cushioning requirements. As our planet’s climate changes, we will hear more strange news like this of how extreme temperatures are causing problems we had not anticipated.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Ami Scott August 22, 2007 at 3:26 pm

Wow, that’s really interesting. Kind of scarey, really. Did it ever mention the temp. that it combusted at?

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Jennifer Lance August 23, 2007 at 1:30 am

If I recall, the temps were over 100!

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