What are spontaneous combustion fires? The owner of the Harmar House explains the phenomenon
HARMAR, Pa. (KDKA) — A fire ravaged the Hamar House in August of last year, destroying a banquet hall and institution.
Firefighters from multiple departments could not save the Harmar House, which was gutted by a fire of a very unlikely cause.
After 25 years of hosting weddings, retirements and funeral receptions, a fire spread through the Harmar House on Aug. 30, 2023, turning the once vibrant kitchen, bar and banquet hall into a charred remnant of its former self.
Allegheny County Councilman and longtime owner and operator Nick Futules lost it all to a cause he never suspected or heard of.
"My entire life was here," he said. "Somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million in damage because of my towels. Hard to swallow."
The Allegheny County fire marshal determined the fire started in a pile of freshly washed, freshly dried kitchen towels. Though cleaned, the laundering did not remove accumulations of flammable cooking oil from the fabric. The pile built up trapped heat and ignited, and the fire spread throughout the building.
KDKA-TV's Andy Sheehan: "What is the cause?"
Deputy Director of Allegheny County Fire/EMS Steve Imbarlina: "Spontaneous heating."
Though rarer than other causes of fire, Imbarlina said spontaneous heating or combustion involving fabrics soaked in volatile oils happens in restaurants every year in Allegheny County. He says it's also happened in homes.
In most cases, employees or residents are on scene to put out the fire, but the employee who did the laundry at the Harmar House left before the pile ignited, and the fire burned for an hour before it was discovered.
"Typically, people are advised to lay those rags out," Imbarlina said. "Some say lay them in the driveway, away from all combustible material, where they can dry."
Something Futules wished he knew.
"For towels to catch fire like that, I want people to know how dangerous they are, so other businesses don't have the same problem," Futules said.
He may never get his banquet hall back, but Futules wants others to avoid the same fate and be aware of this hidden danger.