West Vancouver fire investigators are looking into the possibility that oily rags may have spontaneously burst into flame, sparking a fire at a home under renovation in the 6000 block of Gleneagles Drive recently.
The top floor of the home was extensively damaged in the fire, which broke out around 11 p.m. June 6. The home was being renovated and owners were out of the country at the time.
The cause of the fire has not been officially determined, but Jeff Bush, assistant fire chief with West Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, said preliminary investigations are pointing to spontaneous combustion of the rags, near the home’s exterior.
Fire investigators are also looking into the way insulation was installed as a possible cause of a fire that broke out the same day in a home under construction in the British Properties. Bush said although the cause of that fire is also still under investigation, in certain situations insulating material can also self-ignite.
Bush added with the current hot weather, residents should observe campfire bans and be extra cautious about not tossing away lit cigarette butts.
