Homeowner faces potentially life-threatening issue due to neighbor: 'It's a public safety and fire safety matter'

A homeowner was confronted with more than just clutter when an auto repair shop began stacking discarded tires near their property.

In a Reddit post, the frustrated homeowner explained that their neighbor runs a vehicle repair business. While the two neighbors generally lived in harmony, the homeowner noted that the business had started stacking tires next to the property line.

"This is right up to the wall of my house and along the wall of my garden," the homeowner wrote. "From reading up on it, I understand that if they catch fire, they are very hard to put out, even by professional firefighters due to the properties of rubber and the temperature they burn at."

The homeowner asked for advice, explaining that although they wanted to address the issue, they didn't want to "start a fight."

One of the ultimate trials of owning a home is dealing with pesky neighbors. While having a conversation about property concerns is usually a good first step, many commenters advised that city officials can aid in tackling the situation.

"Tires breed mosquitoes, and many places regulate how and where you can store or dispose of them," one commenter wrote, advising the original poster to contact city health officials or code enforcement.

"It's a public safety and fire safety matter," another added.

The Environmental Protection Agency noted tire fires — though "infrequent" — are "serious situations that are difficult to extinguish and expensive to clean up." 

According to tire disposal professionals, tires have to be heated to at least 752 degrees Fahrenheit to ignite, so tire fires are "usually the result of arson or industrial accidents." Shredded or chipped tires, however, can spontaneously combust under the right (or, rather, wrong) conditions. With large amounts of oil stored at the repair business, however, a tire fire isn't out of the realm of possibility — especially if it starts elsewhere on the property and rapidly spreads.

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The EPA reported that there are thousands of known and potentially toxic compounds in tires, some of which are released into the environment by simply driving. Tires break down into hazardous compounds, including gases, heavy metals, and oil, when burned. And those resulting compounds are indeed hazardous to the environment.

Though tire fires are rare, commenters emphasized that the homeowner should feel empowered to deal with the situation for their own peace of mind — and for the environment.

"Tire fires are no joke," one commenter added. "Please take action now before they add more to their collection."

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