The improper disposal of oily rags from staining caused a house fire in Bend, Ore., which resulted in $1.5 million in damages, according to Bend Fire & Rescue.
The fire broke out in the house around 4 a.m. June 19 after a contractor, staining on the second floor, didn’t add water to a bucket of used rags before leaving the home, causing the rags to spontaneously combust, Bend Fire & Rescue reported, adding that neighbors reported smelling smoke hours before smoke was seen coming from the house. It took fire crews over three hours to fully stop the fire.
One member of the fire crew was injured in a fall inside the house during fire operations but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No one was in the home at the time of the fire, and no other structures were impacted by the fire.
Bend Fire & Rescue says spontaneous combustion fires are most often caused by improper disposal of oil- and stain-soaked rags.
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