Heather Young/Atascadero News

Atascadero City Fire Department firefighters soak a plant in front of an Atascadero home on San Marcos Road Tuesday morning. AFD Captain Bill White said the fire was started when the homeowner was killing weeds using a propane torch. The bush caught fire due to the torch and the hot morning. “This is an oily plant,” White said. “It’s the oil that burns, so that’s why there’s so much smoke.” White advises residents to do yard work between 7 and 10 a.m. White said he doesn’t recommend doing yard work in the evening because the heat hangs into the evening. White said that the fire did not spread from the bush because the homeowner had done a good job with the landscaping to keep the fire from spreading. “He has done a very good job maintaining a good buffer,” White said. With the summer weather getting more people outside for barbecues, White recommends that they make sure the grills have adequate grates, always have someone watching the grill, locate the grill away from vegetation and have a hose nearby. “Be sure you’re real mindful your coals are good and out before you [throw them out or tow the grill].”