On Sun, 02 May 2004 02:27:56 GMT, "Leo Lichtman" vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!: remove ns from my header address to reply via email
My two stories:
I was cutting a large dozer rake in a paddock with oxy-Acet. There was very little grass around (you have to see marginal country in Oz to understand this) but there was one patch, so although I had a bucket of water nearby, there was little danger of a spreading fire. I had nice long hoses, so I could keep the bottles on the vehicle. Less work and "out of harm's way".
Then I smelt smoke and looked back. The hoses were of course laying right across the only patch of dry grass, which of course had set alight. I did catch it in time.
To give an idea of the power of a grinder or abrasive saw to start fires. I was cutting a piece of steel on a jarrah (very hard wood)-topped sawhorse, and the solid jarrah caught fire. It smouldered, and I could smell burning jarrah. I micved the saw away, and I can only imagine that the fan breeze from the saw was enough to fan it. It did actually burn for a bit.
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