Pullman house fire blamed on stain-soaked rags

A pile of rags used in staining a deck spontaneously combusted Friday night, damaging a home under construction in Pullman.

The fire, reported about 7:45 p.m., started in the garage of a house in the 1300 block of SE Harvest Drive. Firefighters kept the blaze confined to the garage, although the living room may have sustained some minor smoke damage, said Fire Captain Eric Reiber. Crews also put water onto a neighboring house as a precaution, he added.

Pullman fire investigator Rich Dragoo said workers who had been staining a deck left the rags in a pile at the top of the stairs. “That was enough for spontaneous combustion to occur,” he said.