Fire Does $1 Million Damage Spontaneous Combustion Of Oily Rags Blamed In Lincoln Blaze

Rags soaked in a flammable varnishing oil are believed to have caused a fire that charred the second floor of the Lincoln Building in downtown Spokane on Monday night.

Spokane Fire Department investigator Mike Zambryski said workers had been spreading tung oil on the walls of a conference room used by the Evans, Craven and Lackie law office in the building at 818 W. Riverside.

Some of the rags were left in the conference room overnight. Zambryski said towels doused in tung oil can catch fire spontaneously if they are left in places with poor ventilation.

About five hours elapsed between the time the law office employees left for the night and when the fire started, Zambryski said.

He estimated damage from water and smoke throughout the building could total more than $1 million. That includes damage to the building plus computer equipment and files owned by tenants.

Denise Harfield, who manages the Lincoln Building for Goodale & Barbieri, a division of WestCoast Hospitality Corp., said damages have not been tallied.

The Lincoln Building, opened in 1964, has full insurance coverage, Harfield said. She added that each tenant company purchases its own insurance. About 32 businesses lease space in the building, she said.

The ground floor, which was damaged by water, is vacant.

Since the Lincoln Building is more than 35 years old, it does not have a sprinkler system on the main floors. Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams said one was operating in the basement.

The three-alarm fire broke out about 10:30 p.m. Firefighters had the blaze under control in about half an hour.

Concrete floors prevented the fire from punching through to upper levels.