Qld: Spontaneous combustion in tea towels behind restaurant fire

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-1999
Qld: Spontaneous combustion in tea towels behind restaurant fire

Spontaneously-combusting tea towels sparked a fire in an inner-city Brisbane restaurant
early today.

A fire brigade spokesman says the 12 towels burst into flames after being left in a
drier for several hours after it was turned off at Casablanca Brassiere, Bar, Cafe and
Cellar Club at 4.30am (AEST).

The heated particles in the tea towels caused them to start breaking down, sparking
a chain reaction and eventual fire inside the drier.

Queensland Fire and Rescue senior operations co-ordinator BRIAN DUTTON says the fire
spread to parts of the laundry and kitchen of the Spring Hill restaurant.

He says spontaneous combustion is unusual, but does happen from time to time.

Staff at the Petrie Terrace restaurant left the building at 4.30am, but the fire was
not noticed until a maintenance worker arrived at 7am.

Casablanca manager DAN KERRISON says the worker saw smoke billowing out of the drier and fled.

But he says the fire was brought under control in less than 20 minutes by 16 fire officers
using special breathing apparatus.

AAP RTV ap/sd/as/jn

KEYWORD: RESTAURANT (BRISBANE)

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