Butte County October 8, 2017 – CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire investigators have determined that a mowing operation was the cause of the Lumpkin Fire that was reported on Friday, October 6th. The fire was reported at 5:04 p.m. and burned 5 acres before being contained.
“We are entering a period of critical fire weather and it is more important than ever to use power equipment responsibly”, stated CAL FIRE Butte County Fire Chief Darren Read. “While the temperatures are dropping, fire danger remains high”, he added.
Follow these rules when doing mowing and weed eating operations:
- Do all yard maintenance that requires a gas or electrical motor before 10 a.m., not in the heat of the day, or when the wind is blowing!
- Lawn mowers are designed to mow lawns.
- Never use lawn mowers in dry vegetation. Use a weed trimmer to cut down dry weeds and grass.
- Remove rocks in the area that you plan on mowing before you begin operating any equipment. A rock hidden in grass or weeds is enough to start a fire when struck by a metal blade.