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I might also add I live in Texas where it has been 100-110 degress the last 60 days. Grass is St Augustine. Water grass once a week, due to water restrictions.
The OP may have been fertilizer burn, whether or not the company doing the fertilizing wanted to admit to it or not. Mower tracks can be seen in lawns cut too low for the conditions, or when the grass has been dry during drought conditions.
In your case, Tam, I think it might be that the stress of the heat and dryness has made the grass fragile and the mower wheels passing over it is enough to damage/kill small sections. It took me a little searching to find another sample picture and it turned out it belonged to a lawn service. Scroll down to near the bottom here: Lawn Tech Services - Bismarck, ND (http://www.lawntechservicesnd.com/tips.asp - broken link)
Mowing. I did not bother reading all remarks, so someone may have addressed it, but you describe exactly what I would describe in my lawn. I have narrowed it down to the fact that these burn marks appear a couple days after I mow with my zero turn mower. It is possibly gasoline leaking form one of my two nearly-full tanks (although I usually check to make sure my caps are tightly turned), or a short burst of extreme heat from the engine or exhaust. These random, inconsistent , yellow burn streaks are right in line with my direction of mowing. I DO NOT LIKE THEM.
If no chemicals or insects, this is almost defiantly "Heat Tracking". As a lawn service owner, it is something we combat with a hose every few properties. Here in Southwest Florida, it was 97 degrees today and quite humid. On a cooler day, I have measured the temperature of our lawn mower tires with a infrared thermometer at 149 degrees once, only 8 degrees shy of the frying point for an egg (158). Depending on the equipment, engine or muffler heat can increase that reading. Literally, this can burn a lawn. The good news, is that time and water cure this in a growing cycle or two. Google "Mower Heat Tracking" to learn more.
Best of Luck!
Jeff @ NewLeaf Grounds
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Burn streaks from mower?
