Almost burned down my backyard trying to compost the wrong way

I was in my backyard in Austin last summer trying to start a compost pile. I threw in a bunch of grass clippings, food scraps, and some old cardboard without layering them right. Within 3 days the pile got so hot it started smoking, like actual smoke coming out of the middle. I panicked and doused it with water from the hose, then had to spread it all out to cool down. Turns out I had way too much green material and no browns to balance it. Now I use a 3:1 ratio of browns to greens and check the temperature with a probe every few days. Has anyone else had a compost pile catch fire or get dangerously hot on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

johns181mo ago

That sounds rough man. My pile hit 160 one time and I thought it was gonna catch the fence on fire. Glad you caught it before it got worse.

charlie_fisher451mo agoMost Upvoted

Read a study online that said once compost hits 170 you're basically in fire territory, not just hot composting. 160 is way too close for comfort with a fence nearby.