Brookfield Firefighters Warn About Spontaneous Combustion

BROOKFIELD, CT — The Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company is warning residents that improperly discarded floor refinishing materials may spontaneously combust.

The caution comes in the wake of several such incidents in town over the past few months, firefighters wrote on social media. The most recent fire occurred on Tuesday at a residence on Parker Hill Road.

Flooring jobs typically involve solvents with low flash points, such as hardwood floor finishes, combined with tinder-like material such as sawdust from refinished floors.

Around 14,070 fires in the United States are the result of spontaneous combustion, according to a report by the National Fire Protection Association. Oil-soaked rags are listed among the most common items first ignited to cause the fire.

"Please exercise caution when refinishing floors yourself and be sure to hire reputable company if you are contracting it out," the BVFC warned on FaceBook.