Simple household item can spontaneously combust
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio (WJW) – The North Royalton Fire Department is spotlighting a problem that been identified as the cause for more than a dozen fires across the region – oily rags.
Fire Chief Robert Chegan said when home improvements are made using plant-based varnish or stains, the oily rags can catch fire without an open flame present.
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“Basically, they’re caused by oily rags that are bunched up, put in small piles in a trash can and it causes them to self-combust,” Chegan said. “The heat cannot be released.”
Chegan said two fires in two months have been started by oily rags combusting. One fire occurred on Dec. 9, 2023 at 9216 Wallings Road, a total loss. The other occurred at a local business located at 14900 York Road, an incident with minor damage.
“This isn’t one of those topics that are out there,” Chegan said. “It’s not something that we normally teach during fire prevention month. But this is a thing that my assistant chief really thought during his investigations that needed to be out there, because we’re seeing a lot of them, not only in our area, but other areas around the country.”
Chegan said proper education and awareness is key to preventing fires of this nature, potentially saving homes, businesses and lives.
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“We tend not to read labels on the back of paint cans and varnishes and stains,” North Royalton Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshall Tom Habak said. “And on those labels, it states specifically how to care for materials who are using the application and cleanup of those products. But it’s small print. If the label gets torn or product gets spilled on the label, it’s obscured. So we want to get the message out there and hopefully prevent these types of fires more in the future. It’s not something that’s on the front of people’s minds.”
Habak said getting rid of these rags is quite simple.
“Either put it outside so they can dry and break down and the heat will just dissipate into the atmosphere or put it back in the container that the product came in, fill that up with water and then seal the lid.”
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