Upstate New York is experiencing an unusually hot and dry summer – so hot, so dry that an everyday pile of horse manure spontaneously caught fire under the sweltering sun.

The Department of Environmental Conservation reported that the horse dung combusted in a stable in the town of Throop, 25 miles west of Syracuse. Residents complained about a foul smell and smoke wafting through their windows.

When Don Damrath, DEC officer, investigated he was told by stable owners that manure combustion was not unusual in the horse stable. The wind generally blows the smoke in a different direction, away from townspeople, they explained.

This time, however, the wind carried the smell and smoke in the opposite direction, perhaps preventing what could have been a major brushfire in the area.

In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A man rides a horse through a bonfire as part of a ritual in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals, in San Bartolome de Pinares, about 100 km west of Madrid In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A man rides a horse with a child through the flames during the 'Luminarias' annual religious celebration on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A woman falls with her horse as they go through the flames during the "Luminarias" annual religious celebration on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A horse and rider jump over a burning pyre in the central Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A man prepares to ride through the flames on his horse during the 'Luminarias' annual religious celebration on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de los Pinares, about 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Madrid In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain According to tradition that dates back 500 years ago, people ride their horses through the narrow cobblestone streets of this small village to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A horse and rider pass through a burning pyre in the central Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain Since time immemorial, the horses' owners have conditioned their beasts to pass through the flames marking a religious folklore deeming the process will cleanse the village of disease In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain People gather around a fire during the 'Luminarias' annual religious celebration on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de los Pinares In pictures: Luminarias festival in Spain - men ride horses through fire Spain A cat is seen on the street before the 'Luminarias' annual religious celebration on the night before Saint Anthony's, patron of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de los Pinares

Fire from the manure pile spread “dangerously close” to an area with dry vegetation, and took firefighters more than two hours to extinguish.

Mr Damrath told the stable owners to make an effort to prevent further combustion in the future.

A 2009 paper published in Bioresource Technology found that horse manure is “well suited for combustion”, especially if combined with wood shavings one would find in a stable. The paper found that horse manure particularly makes for a reliable low-emission fuel.

New York state experienced a rather serious heat wave this week as a so-called "heat dome" – a high pressure system that traps hot air in a region – shot temperatures up to more than 100ºF (38ºC).