Rock Valley, Iowa– A garage fire was averted by just a few minutes in rural Rock Valley on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
According to Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis, about 6:10 AM, the Rock Valley Fire Department was called to the report of smoke in a garage and house in the 2900 block of Fir Avenue, about two miles northeast of Rock Valley.
He says it was a two-story house with an attached garage. By the time they arrived, he says the smoke had dissipated. He says one of the people living there does woodworking, and rags used for staining wood were disposed of in a plastic barrel the day before. He says overnight the stain started evaporating and causing significant heat.
He says one of the residents woke up and smelled smoke. He says the walk-out door to the garage was opened and the garage was found to be full of thick smoke. He says the garage door was opened and the car in the garage was backed out. He says the resident told him the smoke was so thick that he couldn’t see the car.
Chief Eshuis says the plastic barrel was moved outside. He says there were no flames yet, but the rags were black and smoking. He says in a very short time, there would have been a major fire.
Eshuis says no injuries were reported.
Chief Eshuis reports that there was minimal to no damage, and crews were on scene for about 20 minutes.
The chief would like to remind people to dispose of solvent-soaked rags properly, such as rags that have absorbed stain, paint, kerosene, gasoline, or even cooking oil. He says when these type of products evaporate, they oxidize and create significant heat. He suggests disposing or storing such items outdoors. The National Fire Protection Association says such rags should be kept in well-covered metal cans and thoroughly dried before collection or transport.
