Spontaneously combusting tea towels are thought to have sparked a blaze that damaged the housekeeping area of a Northland-based luxury resort and left six rooms smoke damaged.
The fire at Peppers Carrington Resort, on Karikari Peninsula, started in a pile of folded tea towels in a fish bin about 6.30pm on Monday. A fire investigator says the incident was a timely reminder to ensure clothes dried in a drier are thoroughly cooled before they are folded and stored.
Fire investigator Terry Baylis said after an initial examination of the scene it appeared tea towels taken from a drier and folded had started the blaze. A series of chemical reactions between the heat generated from the drier, the washing powder and oil residues on the tea towels had combined and resulted in combustion.
"This is not uncommon and can happen at home. Anyone using a drier should make sure they use the cooling cycle before they store their washing."
He had checked wiring to a hot-water cylinder but said the seat of the fire was where the tea towels had been stacked. Two teams of volunteer firefighters from Mangonui and members of the Karikari rural fire party were called to the resort. Mangonui chief fire officer Anthony Pedersen said the housekeeping area was in a basement so was contained but plenty of smoke was generated.