Sly Park Home Saved in Residential Structure Fire

June 4, 2008 - Sly Park Road, Pollock Pines, CA

A home was saved and no one was injured at a residential structure fire at 7020 Sly Park Road last evening. The Palmer family was at home having dinner and watching the NHL finals on TV when they smelled smoke. Ernest Palmer and his wife Susan checked outside for the source and when they didn't see anything, and because they are avid hockey fans, went back to watching the game.

Mr. Palmer told investigators that he assumed a neighbor was burning trash. After watching the end of the game they noticed the smoke had not dissipated and checked again. That's when they discovered fire in the rafters of their attached garage and called 911. Mr. Palmer began using a garden hose to try to keep the fire in check while Mrs. Palmer evacuated their elderly mother and son.

The ambulance crew at Station 19 in Pleasant Valley split their crew and responded the fire engine and the medic unit. Engineer/EMT Teri Simmons said that "on arrival we found that the fire had extended into the attic above the living area and had vented through the garage roof." They began aggressively attacking the fire as additional units arrived. Crews had to pull ceiling and open up walls to get to the fire and had it knocked down within a few minutes. One firefighter partially fell through the weakened roof but fortunately was not injured. Battalion Chief Mike Hardy stated that fire crews did a great job of saving the family's personal belongings including pictures and a high lift chair and hospital bed that belonged to the mother.

Cause of the fire is under investigation however investigators are looking closely at the possibility that the fire was started by improperly stored deck staining materials.

Spontaneous Combustion Can Cause Fires
While spontaneous combustion isn't a common occurrence, it can be disastrous. Spontaneous combustion causes major fire losses each year. One of the most common scenarios is when floors or woodwork are being refinished and stain-soaked rags are left in a heap on the floor. Something as simple as not storing these rags properly can cause major fire damage.

In fact, the way combustible materials are stored has a lot to do with whether or not they'll spontaneously combust. For example, while an oil-soaked rag stored in a pail could heat up enough to burst into flames, the same oily rag laid flat to dry would probably have sufficient airflow to prevent heat buildup. Similarly, if the oily rag was placed in a tightly sealed jar, it most likely would not have sufficient air to allow the oxidation process to occur. That's why it's a good idea to look around your garage, storage shed, and yard on a regular basis to ensure that all flammable materials are properly stored. Be sure that you carefully store oil-, gasoline-, or paint-soaked rags. Store them in a tightly sealed container in a cool, well-ventilated place away from other combustibles. Or, lay the rags out individually on a flat surface and leave them to dry completely before reusing.