MoPac grass fire caused by 'spontaneous combustion'
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
A grass fire which slowed traffic on MoPac Saturday afternoon was caused by spontaneous combustion, officials with the Austin Fire Department said.
Fire crews quickly gained control of the small grass fire located between MoPac and Hartford Road, just north of Windsor Road.
One house near the fire was evacuated as a precaution before firefighters arrived. No other evacuations were needed.
The cause of the fire was initially thought to be electrical, but further investigation proved the cause was the spontaneous combustion of a mulch and compost pile in the area.
AFD officials encourage residents with compost piles monitor them for heat. If a pile is feeling excessively hot, they say moving the pile around or dispersing it will keep it safe from igniting.