Three fire engines were called to the launderette on Tilgate Parade at about 10.15pm. It is unclear exactly how the fire started but it is believed to have been accidental and caused by the towels combusting due to the oil becoming hot.
The crews used four sets of breathing apparatus and two hose reels to tackle the blaze before leaving the scene at 10.50pm. A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said: "The circumstances of this fire are unusual, but certainly not unheard of.
"If materials with oil residue are heated and then left in a tumble dryer, or are folded into piles or stacks before they are cool, there is a risk of self-combustion. It is really important to wash materials that have absorbed oil at a high temperature and to use the right detergent."
1 comment:
They wouldn't even need to be warm from the dryer. Spontaneous combustion can be deadly; that's why we're always being warned about piles of oily rags, etc.
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