A house fire Tuesday in Clark County’s Sherwood neighborhood was caused by discarded staining rags that spontaneously combusted.
The rags had been thrown out in a trash can next to the residence in the 3100 block of Northeast 111th Circle, Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Rick Searls said.
The trash fire extended to the house and into the attic, causing up to $180,000 worth of damage, Searls said. Firefighters had to tear into the ceiling to extinguish the blaze, he said.
“People should be mindful of manufacturer’s warnings. Many of these staining products say they can cause spontaneous combustion,” Searls said.
Clark County Fire District 6 crews were dispatched at 3:55 p.m. for the residential structure fire.
The reporting party said flames were going up the side of the house, and they heard popping near the connection to a propane tank, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a working fire on the left side of the house, fire district spokesman Dave Schmitke said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire within 10 minutes, Schmitke said.
Efforts to clean up the scene were put on hold when crews heard two loud booms come from the home. Schmitke said the explosions blew off the gas meter from the side of the house.
