The tumbleweeds out here go up like they have been doused in gasoline. Found that out the first year here and was burning leaves and weeds in the fall.
Now, Bob burns when I'm not home. I'm scared silly of fire anyway and those are like a torch.
Ahhhh the fire story. Once upon a time, Christmas eve, I was mowing down my driveway, on either side. It's a very long pavement driveway and I have a neighbor directly in front of my house and her pasture runs the length of mine, to the road. I was finished mowing and going up the driveway towards the house, about an eighth of a mile away. My son was riding with me and he suddenly screams, "Fire!" jumps off and takes off running. I look down at my tractor and fire was licking at my jeans. I got off and started running for the house, a long way when you are 40 years old and out of shape. By the time I got to the house the fire had spread into the grass and was getting into my neighbors pasture. I called 911, they were here in minutes and put the fire out. It went up so fast it was unbelievable. 5 more minutes and my neighbors house would have gone up in flames. The were incredibly nice about the whole thing, even asking the firemen to let it burn a little further and get a big sticker patch. That next summer was the greenest their pasture had ever been, at least.
I'm terrified of fire, now that I see how quickly it spreads.
It'll be a cold day in hell before I buy another John Deere riding mower. I now use a Kubota. I do have a big John Deere tractor that I've never had problems with. The little one caught on fire because of a fuel leak, we think, but it was hard to tell since by the time the fire was out, it was just a lump of charcoal.