Oily rags spark garage fire in Batavia

A Batavia garage caught fire early Sunday evening when a trash bag full of rags used on wood sealant spontaneously combusted, according to fire officials.

Firefighters responded to a call at 5:50 p.m. Sunday on the 200 block of Jefferson Street and were able to put out the minor fire within seven to 10 minutes, Batavia Fire Department Lt. Scott Hogan said.

The fire started in the corner of the two-story detached garage, burned up a wall and spread to the garage door before firefighters brought it under control, Hogan said.

The official cause of the fire was improper disposal of rags used for cleaning wood sealer, which were packed into a garbage bag as temperatures were about 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Hogan said the rags spontaneously combusted without any external spark, but he added it was not uncommon.

He said there were tools and other garage-related items lost in the fire, which caused an estimated $10,000 in damage.

No one was injured in the fire, Hogan said.