Can compost piles catch on fire?

[Rosyrain]

I heard once that compost piles can catch on fire when the materials contained within them break down and create gasses...is this true? If it is true, what plants or food products should be avoided so that it does not catch on fire?

 

[Chuck]

I heard once that compost piles can catch on fire when the materials contained within them break down and create gasses...is this true? If it is true, what plants or food products should be avoided so that it does not catch on fire?

I suppose it is theoretically possible but hardly likely. A few years ago in San Antonio a huge mountianous mulch pile caught on fire but it was somehow determined that there were flamable materials deep inside the thing. It literally burned for months. A compost pile rarely exceeds 150F and to reach that temp, there must be a lot of green in the pile and green means moisture, so I wouldn't worry about it catching on fire. Possibly if you had a methane gas buildup and threw a match on it it might explode and catch fire but your compost pile is outside and methane is easily dissapated in the air so that is remote at best.

 

[R.R.]

Personally, fertilizer plants like the one in West, TX, concern me more. I've never heard of anyone's compost pile catching on fire. I guess it's not very likely.

 

[Chuck]

Personally, fertilizer plants like the one in West, TX, concern me more. I've never heard of anyone's compost pile catching on fire. I guess it's not very likely.

Or Texas City in 1947

 

[Lostvalleyguy]

Compost piles can generate a lot of heat but it would be unusual for a pile to get above the combustion temperature for most materials. Ideally you want aerobic composting so a pile should have enough air to allow composting and to vent away any combustible gasses. This is a good reason to periodically turn over a compost pile. Anaerobic breakdown will occur without oxygen and is more likely to produce volatile gasses and nasty smells. This would typically require a fairly dense and moist pile. Very large piles of wood chips are being looked at as a potential hazard in out region because the center of the pile is not oxygenated. A compost pile should also be kept moist as the bacteria need water to survive and breed. Adding water will keep the temperature at or below the boiling point of water and well below the flash point of hydrocarbons.

 

[Pat]

Several articles indicate compost piles can caught fire I have attached one. A good read.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex10721

 

[R.R.]

Very informative, thanks, Pat.

 

[Rosyrain]

Thanks for the information everyone. I thought that the compost pile catching on fire thing was very odd, so I thought I would ask. There is a compost company near my house and I always see the piles steaming...it actually produces a piney smell though.

 

[claudine]

This sounds scary
I store my compost in a special container though, it's far away from my house, so I'm pretty sure I don't need to worry about it