At 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Innisfil Fire and Rescue received a monitored alarm notification, reporting smoke and fire at a lakeside home on Purvis Street.
On arrival, fire crews observed smoke issuing from an attached garage. Making their way into the garage, firefighters observed flames and were able to quickly extinguish the blaze.
“It was a contents fire. It wasn’t a structure fire,” said Deputy Fire Chief Tim McCallum. Some smoke did penetrate the living area, which was ventilated by firefighters, but there were no injuries and no other damage.
“There was nobody home at the time, but there was a monitored alarm system,” McCallum said, noting that damage was estimated at “around $10,000.”
The cause is believed to have been spontaneous combustion. The homeowners were reportedly using an oil-based stain, to stain some wood, said McCallum, and left a pile of oily rags in a corner of the garage. As oil oxidizes, heat can build up and lead to ignition of the rags.
This was the latest in a series of garage fires in the Town of Innisfil. The Deputy Chief suggested the increase in frequency may be related to the pandemic, with more people staying home, spending time in their garage and working on hobbies.
“It has been a much busier year than last year,” he acknowledged.
