A NorCal wildfire that has destroyed 9 structures seems to have been started by a cannabis company’s lawn mower.
California cannabis company Flow Cannabis released a statement this past Friday saying that a lawn mower operating on its property started a wildfire on Wednesday in Mendocino County.
The fire had triggered evacuations and destroyed nine structures and damaged two.
Company President Jarom Fawsom said in a statement shared on Twitter by North Bay reporter Sarah Stierch that the July 7th fire near Redwood Valley originated on the company’s property.
Stierch had tweeted, “FLOW CANNABIS EMPLOYEE STARTED #BROILERFIRE WHILE MOWING. The #BroilerFire in Redwood Valley in #Mendocino County destroyed 9 structures, including housing. A Flow employee was mowing at 2:44 PM when the mower hit a rock and sparked a wildland fire. #OnlyYou”
It occurred after the blades of a mower, operated by an employee, struck a rock and caused a spark.
“Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the stress, anxiety, fear and loss that our Redwood Valley neighbors endured as a result,” read the statement from Fawsom.
“Nor can words express how truly grateful we are to the first responders who were immediately on the scene and who, through their heroic and coordinated efforts, prevailed further devastation.”
Don Dale, a chief with Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire Department that managed the fire, said the department needs to complete their official investigation before declaring the definitive cause of the blaze.
The fire started at 2:44 p.m. near Uva Drive and Finne Road, southwest of Redwood Valley, according to an incident report posted by Cal Fire.
