Sacramento, CA
Diamond Springs Hotel
Introduction
was on a VHS tape which we converted to DVD. No editing was done to
the tape. Still shots of the tape help show the small fire and the fire
fighters response. One fire fighter even shrugs his shoulders, as if he is
unsure of how the fire started.
idea until doing a little research. I work in a hospital and learned that too many latex gloves in too
close of a space has been deemed a fire danger by the FDA and a cause of spontaneous
combustion. And cotton soaked in certain fatty oils and cleaning solvents, after being washed
and placed in the dryer, can burst into flames in the dryer.
The list goes on of normal explanation for things bursting into flames. What makes this situation
unusual is the time lapse and history of ten years of placing the linen in the same place, after being
washed in the same solutions, without incident. The laundry was done drying at 10pm. It was
removed and placed on the counter at 11:30pm. It didn't start to burn until 2:45am. It slowly
smoldered until the fire department put it out at about 5:25am. Throughout the night it kicked up
a little from time to time, but quickly fizzled back down. It even was almost out on it's own from 4pm
to 4:30pm.
In history it has been reported that people burst into flames. That one is hard for me to swallow.
But I also know in this field, there is much we don't know. I was a volunteer fire fighter back in
Michigan. So I see this from more of a skeptic's viewpoint. In the end, the fire department ruled
this spontaneous combustion. So I would stand by their judgement any day or night.
Ann Overhiser
Resources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Below the footage are still pictures. The basket is placed on the counter,
so look at the monitor in the lower left. It is dark and very smoky inside so
the actual fire is very difficult to see. Basically, it's a little white spot in the
lower left corner. However, it started on it's own on July 27, 2006.
closing up and turning everything off.
2:45am, but it gets going here at
3:30am. (It's only a white spot in the
lower left corner.)
5:25am and go right to the counter
where the basket is on fire.
is too smoky to see much of anything.
Are unedited still shots from the
security tape on July 27, 2006.
All Rights Reserved.
