Careful with those dried leaves....

 

Nearly had a disastrous Saturday....I was mulching leaves with the riding mower and some got bunched up between the engine housing and the deck....as they always do somewhat.  I noticed a bit of smoke, and very suddenly, a lot of smoke.  Backed up and out of the flames quickly ....fortunately, no damage to the John Deere.  Quite a fire, a bit too close too the edge of the woods for my comfort.  Was able to get a hose down close enough to douse it.  Took quite a while to get it all out completely.

   I'm not sure if it was a spark from the muffler or just contact with hot engine.  Either way, even on a 45 degree day, the risk of fire was far greater than I ever imagined.

Good PSA.  I’ve lit my fair share after letting them get too deep before mulching and blowing them off the side of the cliff my house is on.  I usually blow the front yard onto a tarp and drag it to the cliff but the side yard, I just mow in the same direction until it’s mulched or blower over the side.  

Wow, that sounds crazy.  Glad you're alright.

If you haven't experienced a brush fire during windy conditions, it will stun you how fast fire moves.

 

Great job being fast, you have a very small window to get it under control before it's beyond your control.