Oliver Garage Fire

Improper storage of oily rags almost led to disaster for an Oliver couple.

Fire Chief, Dave Janzen, says the fire department responded to an alarm about 5:30 p.m. Monday.

“A garage on 73rd Street had caught fire, luckily, the home owners were able to get it mostly extinguished by the time we arrived,” says Janzen.

He says they believe the fire started when a pile of oily rags in a cardboard box spontaneously combusted.

“The public needs to be reminded to store those things properly. Keep them separate and in metal containers.”

He says the damage to the garage was minimal.

“They got lucky. These sorts of fires can spread very quickly. If they hadn’t noticed the fire, it could have engulfed the garage before we arrived,” says Janzen.

He says the couple used a garden hose to put out the fire.