Firefighters say oil soaked rags used to stain furniture accidentally sparked Wednesday's home fire in Sun Valley.
Fire crews with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District say a pile of rags was left on an outside wood deck, and when combined with yesterday's temperature, the self-heating rags and afternoon breeze created a chain reaction that started the fire.
The fire consumed the wood deck and portions of the Dorothy Court home.
The occupants of the home escaped without injury.
Spontaneous combustion occurs when the oil is drying on the rag. The drying process produces heat, and air gets trapped in the folds or balled up portions. Heat and oxygen are combined with the rag which is usually made of combustible cloth. Heat, oxygen and fuel are all that is needed to create a fire.
“Oily rags are the summertime equivalent of fireplace ash in the winter,” said Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Chief Charles Moore. “Both present fire risk and both can be neutralized with a metal can and tight fitting lid and a little water.”
Rags that have absorbed oils such as linseed oil or turpentine should not only be kept in well-covered metal cans but also thoroughly soaked in water and mixed with an oil breakdown type of detergent, like laundry detergent.
