A fire caused by stain rags spontaneously combusting burned through a Waterville, Maine, office’s 1950s hardwood floor and into the ceiling below, Central Maine reports.
The new owners of the building were using an oil-based stain on the second-floor hardwood flooring and discarded the used rags in a plastic bag, where they combusted. The fire left a hole and charred the newly refinished hardwood floors in the room. About 30 firefighters responded to the fire, which was called in early Dec. 31. There was no structural damage to the 1952 building.
The owners told Central Maine they were unaware stain rags could spontaneously combust.
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