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Self-igniting oily rags cause of West End skyscraper blaze: Vancouver Fire

Linseed oil auto-ignites, the fire department said
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A large fire broke out in a West End condo building Sunday. (Ryan V./Twitter)

Improperly store oily rags were the cause of a large fire in a West End condo building on Sunday, according to Vancouver Fire and Rescue.

The fire department said the three-alarm fire in the 1200 block of Pacific Avenue was sparked when linseed oil-soaked rags auto-ignited.

“Linseed oil and derivatives self-heat, which can be accelerated by confining them (balling up rags) leading to autoignition,” the fire department said in a social media post.

“Store oily rags in metal or soak with water.”


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