Spontanious Combustion

[Transit]

A number of years I was driving down the street on trash day. I saw a pile of debris that was just starting to smoke and by the tome I got to it the flames were beginning to leep about 8 ft. high.

I was in my business truck and had a tank of 100 gallons of water on the back. I fired up the motor for the pump and put out the fire, I spread out the garbage and found a bunch of sawdust and varnish cans. I left my business card and an explanation of what I'd done to put out the fire.

The next day when I checked my messages I have a very upset caller who wanted to know why I didn't clean up the mess I'd made at the end of their drive.

No good deed goes unpunished!

Paul, how rude and inconsiderate of you not to have cleaned the mess up. You should have at the very least restored everything to its original condition, including the oily rages and flames. And, next time keep your mitts off other peoples disasters.

 

[txdon]

foggy 1111, what type of unsaturated oil was on the rags?



According to the Principles of fire protection by Raymond Friedman there are about 75 substances that are capable of spontaneous heating. "Among the most dangerous are rags or fibrous materials in contact with corn oil, fish oils, (e.g., cod liver oil menhaden oil), linseed oil, peril oil, pine oil, soybean oil, tung oil, or any unsaturated oil? Saturated oils on the other hand such as petroleum-derived oils (e.g.., mineral oil, common lubrication oil, or heating oil), do not cause spontaneous heating."

 

[foggy1111]

The "oil" was from an oil-based stain my wife is applying to some wood trim. I believe it is linseed oil...but have not read the can.