BETHESDA, Md. - Montgomery County emergency officials say a fire that erupted at a home in Bethesda caused more than $1.5 million in damages early Monday morning
I’ve had Watco Oil soaked rags combust even when soaking but not completely submersed in pails of water.Great reminders!!!
I try to be careful, and always throw oily rags into a bucket of water as soon as I'm done using them, but you can't be too careful. It only takes one time.
Somehow I actually believe it..I think I may have shared a similar story in a prior thread of a fire in the back of my open pickup truck when en route to a job site. I had oiled some sample boards at my house early one morning, balled up a couple of slightly damp oil rags in a tarp when done, and tossed it in the back of my truck, noticing the fire in the truck bed when looking in my rear view mirror.funny thing about Watco rags. If you stuff a bunch into a bucket and you put that bucket into the back of your truck, and drive home at night at 60mph. You can see the rags ignite as they fly out. Scared the crap out of me.
Me and my crew were oiling ~ 100 pieces of teak furniture on a scorching 100 degree day with Watco Teak Oil. We had 5 gallon pails half filled with water for the spent oil soaked rags, but the rags which weren’t completely submersed (they initially were yet floated to the surface) kept igniting..so that isn’t even a fail-safe method. I’ve resorted to storing oil rags in air tight steel drums with water and detergent added which breaks down the oils.Man! I had no idea this was so common. I usually just hang them to dry and haven't had issues. Thinking now that they go straight into a bucket of water.![]()
Thats what we do, drum filled with water and a box of sodium hydroxideMe and my crew were oiling ~ 100 pieces of teak furniture on a scorching 100 degree day with Watco Teak Oil. We had 5 gallon pails half filled with water for the spent oil soaked rags, but the rags which weren’t completely submersed (they initially were yet floated to the surface) kept igniting..so that isn’t even a fail-safe method. I’ve resorted to storing oil rags in air tight steel drums with water and detergent added which breaks down the oils.
I remember you posting that about the store burning down.Thats what we do, drum filled with water and a box of sodium hydroxide
The store in great falls, mt burned down a few years ago after cleaning up some oil paint with xylene and all rags going into the bin.
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Fire erupts at Great Falls paint store
Emergency dispatchers have reported that flames are visible from the rear of the building and that turpentine is stored in that section of the building.www.greatfallstribune.com