White Smoke But No Fire at Rosario

By Kevin K. O’Brien
Fire Chief/CEO, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue

On Thursday, August 1, 2013 at 6:06 a.m., 20 OIFR firefighters with eight fire department apparatus were dispatched to the Rosario Resort Mansion for the report of white smoke in the basement area of the mansion.

Arriving personnel found light white smoke originating in the basement of the mansion and discovered a plastic tote containing smoldering kitchen rags which generated the source of the smoke. The tote was removed from the basement and firefighters initiated ventilation practices to clear the smoke from the building.

The fire was determined to be accidental, caused by the spontaneous combustion of kitchen rags that contained the residue of cooking oils.

There were no injuries to civilians or responders and there was no significant fire or smoke damage to the building.

OIFR recommends safe practices with rags and towels containing oils, hydrocarbons and solvents.

A study done by the Consumer Product Safety Commission found towels containing as low as 3 percent residue of vegetable cooking oil after normal laundering could still generate spontaneous combustion.

• Take care with using, cleaning, and storing of towels and rags contaminated with cooking oil residues. When you have rags that have been used with cooking oils, be sure to consider them to be as volatile as those soaked with solvents.
• Towels and rags should be stored only in non-combustible containers with closed lids.
• Storage of soiled towels and rags in laundry hampers or plastic containers should be discouraged.
• Laundering or otherwise cleaning of oily towels should include a pre-soak to remove as much of the oily debris as possible. Towels taken from the dryer should be inspected for leftover residue and allowed to cool prior to folding and storage.
• An outside cleaning service, used by repair garages for cleaning oily rags, can provide the safest method for cleaning or disposal of grease filled, oily towels and rags.