NORTHAMPTON – Four people were taken to the hospital after a three-alarm fire destroyed a Northampton home Sunday.
Fire Chief Brian Duggan says the first calls came in at about 8 p.m. Sunday and by the time firefighters arrived, the single story, wood-framed home was fully involved.
The residents had already escaped.
Duggan says two firefighters sustained minor injuries — one for heat and the other for a fall.
Two people he described as civilians were also hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries.
Duggan estimated the cost of damage as high as $1 million when factoring in the cars that were destroyed, and the contents of the house.
Firefighters from Hadley, Amherst, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Westhampton and Greenfield also responded.
“There were two fires in the Commonwealth yesterday from the improper disposal of staining materials. People often don’t realize that the chemicals in these products can spontaneously combust,” State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said Modnay.
A 3-alarm fire at Whittier Road in Northampton started in the garage. Newspaper with linseed oil had been rolled up and put in the trash where it spontaneously ignited and quickly spread to other trash. The fire was fueled by gasoline and garden chemicals stored in the garage and the open door. The homeowner was injured when he opened the inside door to his garage. Two firefighters were also injured.
At aout 7 p.m. on Saturday, a fire broke out in the maintenance building of a camp located at 480 Longview Street in Hinsdale. Workers had been staining a dock and placed the stain-soaked rags in an open bucket inside the building where they spontaneously combusted.
Staining products with high VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), are extremely flammable. Examples of these products are oil- based paints and stains, varnishes and polyurethane, paint thinners, etc. Even cooking oil is a flammable liquid. It is important to read the warning labels on the side of the can.
“It is important to safely handle the fire hazard that oily rags pose to make sure fire doesn’t undue all the hard work,” said State Coan.
Oily rags or newspapers that get folded or balled up have the danger of going through a process that starts with oxidation. As the oil is drying on the rag, it produces heat, and air gets trapped in the folds or balled up portions. Heat and oxygen are combined in addition to the rag, which provides the fuel. Improperly disposed of oily rags can easily start a fire.
It’s important to read the directions on the container of the specific product you are using, but in general, oily rags should be safely disposed of after application by using these steps:
· Hang them outside to dry in a safe area or spread them out flat, making sure they are weighted down outdoors. They should not be in a pile. Once they are dry, they should be disposed of properly.
· For somebody who uses oily rags on a daily or weekly basis, the oily rags should be placed in a listed oily waste container and emptied by a private contractor.
· For a less frequent user, the now dry oily rags should be stored in a small, airtight, non-combustible (such as metal) container with a tight-fitting lid. An old paint can is a good example. The rags should be completely covered with a solution of water and an oil breakdown detergent. Do not add any other combustible material (stuff that can catch fire). The user should then dispose of the rags during a city-sponsored hazardous waste collection day.
For more information, Disposal of Oily Rags, under Fire Safety Topics, on the DFS website – http://www.mass.gov/dfs
