Trash bags of wood dust spontaneously combusted, causing a fire July 16 in Rockland, Maine, the Penobscot Bay Pilot reported.
The fire started around 9 p.m. after bags filled with wood dust, thinner and rags had been left outside for hours from a floor refinishing project.
Temperatures reached the high 80s that day, and the bag “probably just sat there, built up some heat and whenever it reached the right ignition temperature, things happen,” Rockland Fire Chief Chris Whytock told the Penobscot Bay Pilot.
Neighbors noticed flames coming from the bags and starting to climb the siding of the house. They managed to extinguish the majority of the flames with a garden hose before the fire department arrived.
After the fire was extinguished, Rockland firefighters examined the house and found the interior of the home undamaged.
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