A fire allegedly caused by hardwood floor dust combustion could cost a Tennessee flooring business more than $1 million, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Tennessee Floor Care, owned by Lawrence Troendle, refinished floors for a Clinton, Tenn., homeowner. A fire sparked and destroyed the home. In the lawsuit, the homeowner blames the flooring company for the fire and is suing Troendle $1.25 million for negligence.
The lawsuit contains two theories about what caused the fire: Either a bag of hardwood floor dust spontaneously combusted, aided by flammable floor finish chemicals, or a lit cigarette butt was carelessly thrown into a bag of sanding dust.
Troendle did not immediately return a request for comment.
The lawsuit seeks $750,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages, the newspaper said.
