Do you want to be like the guy who was welding on a gate and started a fire that burned 1,000 acres and several homes in Cave Creek?
Yes: Sell your equipment and move to Siberia.
No: Follow this checklist to minimize your chances of being on the 6 o’clock news.
If you are welding, grinding, soldering pipes or any other “hot work” outside please:
* Clear weeds and dry grasses from the spark zone plus an additional 10ft. Do not use a weed whacker with metal blades or metal ball on the bottom as these machines have created sparks that started fires.
* Thoroughly wet down the spark zone+10ft. This is critical. It is horrifying how fast dry desert vegetation burns. If you are working on an ongoing job consider setting up a temporary sprinkler that you can turn on well before you start work.
* Have a hose with a nozzle turned on ready to go located within easy reach. Make sure the hose is laid out with no kinks.
* Have a helper watching the sparks while you work. With a light breeze the sparks can travel farther than you might think.
* Do not weld, grind or perform any “hot work” during high winds.
Locally several thousands of acres and many homes have been destroyed by well intentioned people who didn’t follow these guidelines because they were “going to be careful”.
