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House fire blamed on spontaneous combustion

Rags and foam brushes saturated with wood stain caused the early-morning fire Saturday in Nanaimo.
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Kevin Lillingston, fire prevention officer with Nanaimo Fire Rescue, investigates the scene of a house fire Saturday at Rovere Place. (GREG SAKAKI/The News Bulletin)

The fire that destroyed a north-end home was sparked by spontaneous combustion, say firefighters.

Rags and foam brushes saturated with wood stain caused the early-morning fire Saturday at a house on Rovere Place, according to Kevin Lillingston, fire prevention officer with Nanaimo Fire Rescue.

Lillingston said in an e-mail that the brush and rags were improperly disposed.

“The items were placed in a plastic garbage can which was located in a workshop in the home,” he said. “After a period of 12-14 hours, spontaneous ignition leading to combustion occurred in the garbage can.”

Rags soaked with wood stain also started a shed fire in Nanaimo last month.