header4.jpg
 Search


   

Who's Online
Membership Membership:
Latest New User Latest: seagull
New Today New Today: 8
New Yesterday New Yesterday: 14
User Count Overall: 16986
Online Now Online Now:
01: boca
02: agrebstein
03: seagull
Recent Posts
[more recent posts]
Popular Posts Minimize
Most viewed from the past week
hey everyone! New idea.
posted by Sammy12  on Oct 7 2008
I just had a bowling fundriaser at a local bowling alley and I had raised the amount of $2.146! I had got tweleve lane sponsors and some people gave me $100 for a lane but most gave me $25. It is a great idea if you have a lot of family and friends and also if you have a local bowling alley that is....
What playground features work for children with autism?
posted by mara  on Oct 6 2008
I am doing research in order to improve the design of playgrounds for children with autism.  If you are a parent raising a child with autism, I would love to know what your fantasy playground would look like.  Make your comments here or go and complete a survey at
Atlanta area volunteers needed October 16th
posted by jcooper  on Oct 6 2008
KaBOOM! is looking for volunteers for a build on October 16th. The build site is at M. Agnes Jones Elementary, 1040 Fair Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30314. Volunteers need to arrive by 8 a.m.If you need more details, don't hesitate to email me at jcooper[@]kaboom.org.....

KaBOOM! on the Web
Myspace Let's be friends on Myspace!
Facebook Become a fan on Facebook!
Facebook Cause Recruit friends with our Facebook Cause!
twitter Get mobile updates with Twitter!
twitter Network with us on LinkedIn!
  KaBOOM!   Online Community   Forums 

KaBOOM! Forums

Getting started Help and guides Best-of-the-Best
• Join now!
• Update your profile
• Forum rules
• Greatest hits		 • Using the Forum text editor
• Forum terms and icons
• Subscribing to threads		 Help KaBOOM! find the Best-of-Best forum threads and contributors.
Learn how!
Featured threads
Any need for repairs or cleanup around Houston?
Must see video
Hurricane IKE & Play update- Oct 4, 2008
 KaBOOM! Trainings
October Webinars
WE Play! Phoenix
Bookmark this page! Forum search


  Playspace Builder Support Network  Building Playspaces  wood chips spon...
 wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
 
imgOfflinemerrywbee
121 posts
3rd
Joined
11/8/2006


wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 14 Aug 07 5:52 PM
A school district playground in Texas recently went up in flames because the wood chips spontaneously combusted.  Be sure to watch the video.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/9148951.html

Playground Spontaneously Combusts

August 14, 2007)--The Arlington school district will replace wood chips with pea gravel at 35 playgrounds in response to a fire blamed on spontaneous combustion of the wood fiber.

Superintendent Mac Bernd says it will cost $200,000.


Officials say surveillance video showed that nobody was around to start the fire at an elementary school playground last week.

Deputy Fire Marshal Keith Ebel say the conditions that caused the chips to catch fire were "like a perfect storm."

Heavy rains earlier this summer saturated the wooden material, which began to decompose in the recent summer heat.

That process produces heat below the surface and coupled with high temperatures Thursdsay afternoon it was enough to ignite the dry chips on the surface.

Officials say the fire was like the combustion that can occur with organic material in a compost pile if it is not turned regularly.

Fire officials said the surveillance video confirms that other similar fires could have started spontaneously, rather than as a result of arson or an accident.

Here's the same story another tv station: http://cbs11tv.com/local/local_story_225165737.html
imgOfflinecmad
37 posts
5th
Joined
1/17/2007
Re: wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 14 Aug 07 10:12 PM

I just saw this on the news too. SCAREY! Does anyone have more info?

imgOfflineKaBOOM Amy
232 posts
1st
Joined
11/8/2006


Re: wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 21 Aug 07 5:02 PM

I can't speak to the spontaneous combustability of wood chips, but I can speak to the Engineered Wood Fiber we use. It pretty much looks just like wood chips, but it's actually engineered and produced. Here's what I've got on the EWF flammability.

  1. Engineered Wood Fiber is tested to ensure that it neither combusts or fuels an existing fire.
  2. Because of the compaction and moisture content of the Engineered Wood Fiber, it is fire retardant
  3. Engineered Wood Fiber is tested to the same specifications as new carpets, curtains, children’s clothing and furniture

We've got some folks on these forums who are in Parks and Rec and might have some experience with actual wood chips. Have any of you ever seen anything like what's described in the article?

imgOfflineflowerbill1952
46 posts
4th
Joined
2/26/2007


Re: wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 05 Sep 07 8:05 AM
We've never seen anything like this with wood fiber for playgrounds.  We also have a composting site though and our wood chip pile has spontaneously combusted once enough that the fire department was called- but this was a pile 10 feet or more high that was basically composting and got so hot it started to burn.  Normal composting is really just a slow low temp burn anyway.
imgOfflinecmad
37 posts
5th
Joined
1/17/2007
Re: wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 05 Sep 07 9:17 PM
Has it been verified  that the playground that spontaneously combusted had wood chips as opposed to engineered wood fiber?  We are planning to use engineered wood fiber and I am still nervous!
imgOfflinencram01
26 posts
www.ssjpitt.org/school/index.html
5th
Joined
8/21/2007
Re: wood chips spontaneously combust in high heat
Posted: 04 Feb 08 11:03 AM
Does anyone know what specific type of wood chips these were? Also, isn't there the same risk for rubberized mulch?
 Page 1 of 1
NextPrevious
  Playspace Builder Support Network  Building Playspaces  wood chips spon...