PEIGiven the recent hot and dry weather, fire officials in P.E.I.’s capital city are urging Islanders to take precautions when using mulch, which can pose a serious risk to buildings if it ignites.‘The seriousness of even one can be really catastrophic,’ says deputy chiefThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Aug 10, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoKent Mitchell, deputy chief of the Charlottetown Fire Department, says mulch fires are one of the biggest concerns for the city’s firefighters each summer. (Laura Meader/CBC)Given the recent hot and dry weather, the Charlottetown Fire Department is urging Islanders to take precautions when using mulch, which can pose a serious risk to buildings if it ignites.Deputy Chief Kent Mitchell said the department recently responded to a mulch fire in the Sherwood neighbourhood of the city.The fire, which Mitchell said was likely caused by a discarded cigarette, grew large enough to damage a nearby building and caused smoke damage inside.”Mulch fires are always a concern this time of year,” he said. How to prevent mulch firesMitchell said it’s important that people keep mulch at least 45 centimetres away from any building and ensure it’s spread out in a layer that’s no deeper than seven centimetres.”If it is thicker than that, it can self-heat and ignite with the help of an ignition source,” he said.He added that people may want to consider non-combustible ground cover alternatives such as pea gravel or other types of stone.Mitchell says that mulch should be kept at least 45 centimetres away from buildings to prevent fires. (Laura Meader/CBC)Cigarettes are a leading cause of mulch fires, Mitchell said, and people should be especially careful when discarding them. He noted improperly discarded cigarette butts are a frequent issue near places like fast food restaurants and drive-thrus.”Anywhere there’s mulch, if someone puts a discarded cigarette there, it’s likely going to ignite at some point.”Mitchell said it’s crucial for buildings to be equipped with working smoke alarms, fire alarm systems or sprinkler systems.A fire that starts in mulch can go unnoticed and quickly spread to adjacent building materials like wood or vinyl siding. From there, the fire can rapidly travel to the attic of a home, he said, and people inside might not notice it until it’s too late.Mitchell pointed to an apartment building fire on Harley Street in 2019, which was caused by mulch on the property igniting and led to the building being deemed a total loss.”The seriousness of even one [mulch fire] can be really catastrophic,” he said.While the department has responded to as many as 20 mulch fires in a single year in the past, Mitchell said the number has gone down recently.He attributes the decline to increased public awareness.”Even though our numbers seem to have dropped a little bit this year… there’s still more mulch fires than we’d like to see. We really want to see zero.”With files from Laura Meader
Charlottetown Fire Department warns of summer mulch fire risk after recent blaze
