Landscaping under school sign in Adams ignites two days in a row by itself, officials say

ADAMS, Tenn. (WSMV) - The landscaping under a school marquee at a high school in Adams has spontaneously burst into flames two days in a row, according to our news partner Smokey Barn News.

On Saturday afternoon around 2:40, the Adams Fire Department was called to Jo Byrns High School. When firefighters arrived, they looked for what may have started the fire.

According to Smokey Barn News, officials thought everything seemed in check, so they cleared the scene.

A little over 24 hours later, officials were called back to the school once again with reports that the Jo Byrns High School sign was on fire. When firefighters arrived, the landscaping under the school sign had ignited.

Fire Chief Ray Brown said his department fully inspected the wiring of the sign. Brown said they found nothing that could have ignited the landscaping. There was also no obvious sign that an accelerant had been used.

Brown said one possibility could be the black mulch used to decorate the base of the sign. The sign may have absorbed enough heat to spontaneously combust, although he told Smokey Barn News the fact that this happened two days in a row was “strange.”

Hay is also known to spontaneously ignite under the right conditions. Wet hay is more likely to spontaneously combust than dry.