Mulch/Wood chips, fire risk?

[Twils]

Might be a daft question guys, if so- apologies.

Had some large tree stumps ground down today, i was reading up on whether it is best to leave the chips to compost or to remove them and replace with topsoil

To my surprise i read that woodchips/mulch can be a fire risk and can spontaneously combust??

I just want to check, is this with big piles metres high? the company who did the grinding has left me with fine chips to a depth of about 12-18 inches from what i can see..spread around the flowerbeds

My instinct is this is far too small a pile to be a fire risk, heck if it was we would have garden fires daily!! but i just wanted to check really?

Also any advice on whether to remove or leave the chips is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My instinct is this is far too small a pile to be a fire risk, heck if it was we would have garden fires daily!! but i just wanted to check really?

Also any advice on whether to remove or leave the chips is appreciated.

Guidelines for storage of wood chips and mulch
(from NFPA 230):
• Piles should not exceed 60 feet in height, 300 feet in
width or 500 feet in length
• Piles should be separated from one another by
approved fire apparatus access roads

 

[Twils]

Guidelines for storage of wood chips and mulch
(from NFPA 230):
• Piles should not exceed 60 feet in height, 300 feet in
width or 500 feet in length
• Piles should be separated from one another by
approved fire apparatus access roads

Cheers, i think a sub '1 foot' pile is well under that