A ‘Buried Deep’ Mulch Fire Could Have Been Prevented: Fire Department

BRANFORD, CT — Branford firefighters were called to a possible fire Wednesday morning in a multi-unit apartment building. People who live there called saying there was an odor of smoke with “light smoke visible in the first floor apartment,” according to Fire Chief Tom Mahoney. When they got there, firefighters investigated, found and extinguished a smoldering fire in the mulch outside the main entrance, Mahoney said.

“The mulch fire burned deep and extended underneath the cement stairs,” he said. It turned out that the fire “was caused by improper disposal of smoking materials into the dry mulch bed,” the fire department posted to its Facebook page.

“Unfortunately this is a common occurrence and has been identified as a cause of several major fires in town over the years,” it was noted.

To prevent fires like these, firefighters ask that folks, “fully extinguish all smoking materials and be sure to dispose of them in a non-combustible container.”

Good advice.