UPDATE: St. Helena Fire Likely Caused by Overheated Oily Rags

UPDATE: Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Sept. 8, 2013

Oily rags left outside to bake in yesterday's 90-plus-degree heat are suspected of causing the house fire Saturday in St. Helena, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire Engineer Chris Veilleux said the owner of the home on Allyn Avenue near Adams Street was applying a veneer coating to his upstairs deck when it appeared the oily rags he had been using caught fire as temperatures rose in the afternoon.


"The weather was definitely a factor in starting it," Veilleux said Sunday. "(The rags) pretty much self-ignited, being left in the direct sunlight like that."

After the rags ignited, "the fresh coat of veneer was pretty much all it took to spread the fire fast," he added.

Fire damage was confined to the two upstairs bedrooms and deck, Veilleux said. Smoke and water damage was present elsewhere in the house, but Veilleux said it appeared most of the damage was reparable and that the house could be saved.

He had no word on a specific monetary damage estimate, he said.

"We had it knocked down within an hour," Veilleux said of the blaze that started around 3 p.m. "We were in overhaul pretty quick and then just checking for extensions in the attic and crawl spaces."

No one was transported by ambulance to the hospital, although there were some reports of at least one minor injury.

St. Helena City Fire Chief John Sorensen could not immediately be reached for comment on the nature or extent of injuries.

In addition to firefighters from Cal Fire and St. Helena City Fire, volunteer firefighter companies from Angwin, Deer Park and Carneros -- all under the auspices of Napa County Fire -- responded to the blaze, Veilleux said.

ORIGINAL STORY: Saturday, 6 p.m Sept. 7, 2013

NOTE: This story has been corrected for spelling of two streets.

A major structure fire is under control in St. Helena after multiple fire units fought the blaze for almost two hours.

Cal Fire dispatchers said the fire broke out in a home on Allyn Avenue near Tainter Street at about 3 p.m. today.

They had no word if anyone was home at the time, but witnesses reported at least one burn victim.

Dispatchers said St. Helena City Fire, Cal Fire and Napa County Fire all responded to the blaze, which was brought under control within the past hour. Firefighters were still on the scene at 5 p.m. to clear out burning embers.

Dispatchers said the cause of the blaze was under investigation.