A lawnmower on dry grass sparked the French Fire that scorched 908 acres and destroyed four homes near Yosemite earlier this month, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire began on July 4 and quickly encroached on the town of Mariposa southwest of Yosemite National Park. In the midst of a heat wave, temperatures soared far above 100 degrees as the fire threatened the town’s northeast side, including its hospital and high school.
Around 1000 residents received evacuation orders. By the time the fire was fully contained on July 13, 18 structures were damaged or destroyed, including four homes.
Cal Fire’s Madera-Mariposa-Merced unit Thursday said the fire was started from “improper usage of a lawn mower in dried annual grass.”
“Lawn mowers are designed to be used only on wet, green lawns and not dry weeds because they start fires,” Cal Fire wrote.
Power lawn equipment can create sparks that can ignite dry fuel, such as dead grass, especially in times of high temperature and low humidity. Fire officials have advised to clear high vegetation before the peak of fire season. The agency added that 95% of fires in the state are caused by people and warned of the heightened risk for fires during the dry summer months.
Cal Fire has referred a report on their investigation of the incident to Mariposa County’s District Attorney’s office.
Two people have already been arrested this month in Northern California for allegedly improperly using lawn equipment in a way that may have caused two wildfires. Cal Fire investigators determined the 11-acre Pocket fire in Sonoma County was caused by using a riding lawn mower on dry grass over four feet tall. The Adams Fire in Lake County, which burned 16 acres, was suspected to have originated from using a weed whacker in dry grass.
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