Garage Fire last night.

[THE SENTINEL]

I feel very fortunate to be alive writing this post.
I have been refinishing a old table in my garage.
I was using Boiled Linseed oil.I put the empty can in
a plastic garage can and my son threw the soaked rags on
top.This was around 6pm.At 3am my wife woke me up.The garage
is on fire.I ran to the garge door look inside through the
storm door nothing but thick white smoke.I went in open the
side door and the smoke was just pouring out of the garge.
at the time I went out side.A police car was passing my house.The fireman asked me about the trash can I told him
what I was using.I learned the hard way.I had no idea that
it would create that much heat and combust.another 5 minutes
we would be history.The smoke alarm didnt go off either in the house. we 3 now.we got some smoke smell in the garage but
thats ok.we are very blessed to be here.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

Yikes! Next time put the rags in a sealed coffee can or even a tight plastic bag or better yet don't use polymer forming oils like that.

 

[270grdeerbullet]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

The best thing you can do with the rags is leave them outside in a place were they won't burn up your stuff. Rags with anything solvent based can spontaneously com bust if they don't have adequate ventilation. I am glad to here you are all safe.

 

[npetric]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

Glad you all made it out ok. Everything else can be replaced.
I went through a huge house fire a couple years ago. Mine also started in the garage a few hours after I was welding out there. You did the right thing telling them what happened(they would figure it out anyway). Mistakes happen and you guys lived to learn from it.

 

[KP '14]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

I'm glad to hear you and your family are safe. Thanks for sharing your experience so others can learn too.

 

[BigBlue&Goldie]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

There was a Mormon church in my neighborhood that was burned down by some Boy Scouts that were refinishing the seating with linseed oil. They made the same mistake and threw the rags in a bucket overnight to use the next day. The fire happened at about 1:00am and destroyed the church.

Glad you and your family are okay..........this is a mistake that many of us would make not knowing any better.

 

[SDWhirlwind]

Re: Garage Fire last night.

Few years back an old gent died south of town. His 2 sons built his coffin and put on a good coat of linseed oil, guess they wanted to preserve the wood even though they met the 72hr timeline and didn't preserve pops!!!!! They are a couple of grubby little shits and I can only imagine what the house is like inside. Anyhoo they threw the rags in a corner of the bathroom. Next day they were almost homeless but caught it in time to save the house but not the bathroom. In the long run the funeral/burial was about the same cost I think.