El Granada fire caused by oily rags, controlled by sprinklers

A fire in a garage of a house in El Granada was caused by oily rags.  The Half Moon Bay Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire in El Granada on the 400 block of Paloma Street Monday at 10:25pm.

Fire personnel from the El Granada Station, Captain Keith Roberts, Firefighters Kyle Smith and Randy Mullins, made an aggressive attack on the fire and with the assistance of Half Moon Bay volunteers and the Point Montara engine company extinguished the fire and initiated an investigation into the cause.

The fire was caused by rags discarded into a garbage can that were contaminated with a mineral oil stain. The oily rags spontaneously combusted in the garbage can and the fire grew to involve the back wall of the garage and cabinets. Two residential fire sprinkler heads inside the garage activated and controlled the spread of the fire pending the arrival of the fire department.

Firefighters responding to the call included two engines from the Half Moon Bay Fire District, one engine from the Point Montara Fire District, one engine from the California Dept. of Forestry/San Mateo County Fire Dept, and four volunteers from the Half Moon Bay Fire District responding to the scene.

Preliminary damage is estimated at approximately $10,000.  

Based on HMBFPD press release