Since no autopsy was performed I would be hesitant to blame the operator.
Even spilling gasoline on a hot mower will rarely cause a fire by itself. A
backfire when gas has been spilled is another thing entirely. The neighborly
thing would be to compensate you for the loss, since you were neighborly
enough to loan the mower. The unfortunate result will likely be friction
instead of neighborlyness.
Don Young
"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
My neighbor borrowed my 3 yr old Cub Cadet walk behind 6.5hp with
Kawasaki engine. It caught fire while they were cutting the grass and
has been junked , it is gone to the dump. My neighbor said it backfired
then they left it and it burned. The kid cutting it was 15 and I figure
he put gas in it while hot and it splled catching fire. But a different
neighbor heard it backfire . I know a backfire can cause a flame out
the carburator possibly causing a fire. But my question is this possible
for a good mower to catch fire from a backfire , or is the only logical
explanation is he was refilling the mower while hot and caused the fire.
Im just curious and have googled for 'Lawnmower fires" and find nothing
showing a possible defect to cause a fire.