Golfer accidentally starts HUGE brush fire

– Amateur golfer accidentally starts huge 20-acre fire
– The incident occurred in Mission Viejo, California
– The blaze took 145 firefighters to get it under control

The next time you’re playing golf in a hot country (sadly, that doesn’t include the UK), you may want err on the side of caution.

Why? Well, earlier this week, an amateur golfer in California accidentally started a huge fire after his golf club connected with a rock.

Firefighters were called to Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, when the blaze spread across 20 acres of brush and forced local residents from their homes.

“He accidentally hit a rock and it started a fire” – Larry Kurtz

“The golfer had hit the ball into the rough,” Orange County Fire Authority captain Larry Kurtz told the Orange County Register. “As he was trying to get it out he accidentally hit a rock and it started a fire.”

CONTINUES BELOW…

Brush fire in Rancho Mission Viejo area. @OCFA_PIO pic.twitter.com/5SogzWcOEw

— Rick Moore (@RickMoore) September 6, 2016

Reported at 2.30pm, it took until 4pm for 145 firefighters to fully extinguish the fire, with three water-dropping helicopters also brought in to aid. Thankfully, no injuries or damage to structures were reported.

Kurtz added that the golfer tried to put out the sparks but the flames grew fast and “got out of control.”

Fire officials said the blaze was not intentional but the agency’s investigations unit would decide if the golfer, who was not identified, could face consequences.

It is not unheard of for golf clubs to start a fire. A 2014 study by scientists at the University of California, Irvine, say they’ve proved that titanium-coated clubs can cause course-side vegetation to burst into flames. Stainless steel coated clubs, however, did not produce any sparks.

Don’t let anyone tell you that golf isn’t a dangerous sport!

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