Lawn Mower Ignites Grass Clippings; Fire Destroys Churchville Shed

A Churchville homeowner lost his garage and numerous car parts on Tuesday after combustibles and grass clippings were ignited by a riding lawn mower.

Yes. Lawnmowers can ignite and cause fire if not taken properly of. Always check the lawnmower reviews online or better yet just get a string trimmer. They are very portable and will do the job just fine for smaller spaces. Check out an FST guide on the Blue Max 52623 trimmer.

Just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, emergency personnel were dispatched to the 2900 block of Whitefield Road in Churchville for a reported shed fire.

The owner had just finished cutting the grass and placed the Cub Cadet – zero turn – riding lawnmower in the 16-ft by 32-foot rear yard shed. Approximately 5 minutes later, he smelled smoke and discovered the shed on fire. The owner attempted to extinguish the fire with numerous portable fire extinguishers.

Twenty firefighters from the Level Volunteer Fire Company responded to the single-alarm fire and had it under control within 15 minutes.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal estimated a loss of $5,000 to the structure and $95,000 to its contents. Numerous Corvette parts including engines, transmissions, etc. were located within the shed. The shed and all contents are considered a complete loss.

There were no injuries reported.