California Man Wakes to Backyard Inferno Due to Spontaneously Combusted Mulch

A California man woke up to an intense backyard fire over the weekend, CBS News reported.

Mike Wise suspects that the fire started after mulch in his El Dorado Hills, California, backyard spontaneously combusted. Mulch is highly combustible and is the cause of many large and small fires every year, according to a resource page published by the Safety Insurance Group.

"Mulch fires start more readily when the weather is hot and it has been dry for an extended time," the resource page says. "Factors such as below-average rainfall, dry conditions, warm temperatures, and high winds increase the risk of mulch fires."

The night before, Wise had added new mulch to his garden, during a day when the temperature reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit. The fire started overnight, and he awoke to flames.

"I opened the sliding glass door and my yard was literally on fire," Wise said.

Wise was able to contain the fire by extinguishing the flames with a garden hose.

"It's truly a blessing that we're all safe," he said.