Spontaneous combustion of soil in flower pot sparks house fire

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. — A house in Lake Stevens was damaged by fire on Wednesday afternoon due to the spontaneous combustion of a material used for planting.

At 3:50 p.m., firefighters with Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue were called to a home near the 3100 block of 78th Avenue Southeast.

When crews arrived, they found the entire back side of the home on fire as flames had spread to the attic.

Firefighters said they cut holes in the roof to allow for ventilation and were able to put out the fire quickly.

No injuries were reported.

The fire marshal determined the fire was caused by soil in a flower pot on the deck that had spontaneously combusted.

While fire officials say this kind of incident is rare, they recommended keeping dry combustible materials away from one’s home.

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