Hotter said in this case it was not clear if the oil was linseed but CCTV footage had revealed the rag smoking before “bursting into flames”.
It was not an uncommon cause of fires and Hotter had seen it in other cases around Whanganui.
“Oily rags shouldn’t be bunched up, they should be left open to the air.”
The property was left in the hands of the owner after the fire had been extinguished, he said.
Fire and Emergency NZ Manawatū Whanganui assistant commander Jemal Weston said three fire trucks had responded to the blaze on March 6.
“Initially, it came in that there were persons reported potentially inside, but that was cleared, and apparently [the people] were at another address.”
Firefighters had managed to cut off the fire before it spread further into an adjoining property, he said.
“No one was injured.”
Resident Beryl Johnson, who lives nearby, said Whanganui East was typically a quiet neighbourhood.
“I saw thick black smoke at first ... then I heard glass breaking. I came around here and it was well ablaze.”
Johnson had been to the fish and chip shop when it was still operating and said the business “used to make nice chips”.
Police had also attended and had assisted fire investigators with their investigation into the cause of the fire.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
