Spontaneous combustion causes apartment fire

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    HILLSBORO, Oregon (KPTV) — Firefighters say spontaneous combustion is responsible for a fire at an apartment complex in Hillsboro that started Tuesday morning.

At 10:30 a.m. fire crews got a report to an automatic commercial fire alarm at 305 Southeast Edgeway Drive in the Wyndhaven Apartment complex. More calls from the complex reported building alarms activated and smoke was coming from the third and fourth floor of the building.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Engine 64 arrived first and made entry into the building. Firefighters were able to locate the fire inside a metal waste container inside the building’s trash room and quickly extinguish the fire. Smoke had filled the small room and traveled throughout the building through the multi-story trash chute. Reports indicated, and crews confirmed, that everyone inside the building was able to exit safely. No injuries were reported.

A Hillsboro Fire Investigator determined the cause of the fire to be spontaneous combustion.

Hillsboro fire wants to remind people to use caution when cooking and disposing of cooking oils:
Never leave cooking unattended
Move all flammable materials away from cooking heat sources
Allow cooking oils to thoroughly cool in a non-combustible container before discarding

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