[Az-Geocaching] Prescott Fire: Caches affected or burned?

Fri, 17 May 2002 16:50:55 EDT

--part1_192.72f594e.2a16c72f_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Spontaneous combustion can happen when substances oxidize slowly in confined 
spaces where there is poor circulation. The heat of the reaction is absorbed 
and raises the temperature of the material until auto-ignition occurs. This 
is why you should never throw solvent soaked rags into a broom closet.

The wet hay is ignited because of microorganisms that multiply in the wet hay 
and their biological processes generate heat. (thermogenesis). This gets the 
hay to about 160 degrees, which is hot enough to kill the organisms, but the 
chemical reaction continues and the heat builds faster than it dissipates and 
POOF! a fire.

Jean 
roadrunners

--part1_192.72f594e.2a16c72f_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff">Spontaneous combustion can happen when substances oxidize slowly in confined spaces where there is poor circulation. The heat of the reaction is absorbed and raises the temperature of the material until auto-ignition occurs. This is why you should never throw solvent soaked rags into a broom closet. 
 
The wet hay is ignited because of microorganisms that multiply in the wet hay and their biological processes generate heat. (thermogenesis). This gets the hay to about 160 degrees, which is hot enough to kill the organisms, but the chemical reaction continues and the heat builds faster than it dissipates and POOF! a fire. 
 
Jean 
roadrunners</HTML>

--part1_192.72f594e.2a16c72f_boundary--