Towels spark blaze at Melb massage parlour

A Melbourne massage parlour is believed to have been set alight when a pile towels burst into flames after being taken out of the drier.

The fire caused by the towels, which had been taken from a dryer and piled up, was first noticed at the Hawthorn business at about midnight on Wednesday, the MFB said.

The heat of the towels, combined with oily residue, is thought to have sparked the blaze, the MFB said.

It takes a combination of factors to cause towels to self-combust:

CHEMICALS

- Towels used at massage parlours or around pools commonly contain a chemical or oil residue

- The potentially flammable liquids sometimes stay in towel fibres even after being washed and dried several times, leading to a build-up

HEAT

- This can come from a few sources such as from fungi, bacteria, dryers or sunlight

- After being washed, some liquids can heat during the drying process and, if temperatures are hot enough, may self-combust

A SPARK

- Cotton or linen in towels removed from a dryer may become oxidised and can also contain a large amount of static

- This static can cause a spark which can ignite chemicals which remain in the towels

- Oxidisation is the process of adding oxygen to a compound, making it more susceptible to catching fire