LONG BRANCH-Parking on a pile of leaves is a fire hazard according to the Long Branch Police Department.
“We checked with LBFD Captain Griffin and he confirmed that leaves can catch fire at approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit,” the department said. “The shield of a normal catalytic converter on the underside of a car can reach 300-400 degrees. If a car isn’t operating properly, it can reach temperatures of 800 degrees or more.”
“A pile of leaves could be covering up someone’s garbage which may contain sharp edges that could cause a flat! Worse…kids may be playing in the pile and think it’s funny to hide in them. Basically, you never know what or who is under a leaf pile,” the department added.