A fire at a newly refurbished Canterbury restaurant was caused by the "spontaneous combustion of tea towels", fire investgators have found.
Firefighters extinguished a blaze at The Bridge in Prebbleton about 8.10am on Wednesday.
They were called to a fire at the bar and restaurant on Springs Rd just after 5am.
"The fire investigators have completed their investigation and found the cause was the spontaneous combustion of tea towels. Spontaneous combustion is a risk with rags, clothing and towels which have been contaminated with oils," a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson told Newshub.
"Fibres contaminated with oil can self-heat and spontaneously combust.
"The drying process of oily rags causes a chemical reaction which generates heat and can ignite the rags it is on. It can take many hours before ignition occurs."
Station Officer, Mukesh Babu, earlier told Newshub as firefighters arrived, a lot of smoke was pouring from the building.
"The guys got off the truck, I came around the back and saw flames coming out the back", Babu said.
"[The Firefighters] came around the back and made entry and extinguished the fire."
Springs Rd was closed by police while firefighters battled the blaze.
The damage has been limited to a backroom and kitchen.
"Where the fire has travelled [the damage] is very extensive, however the rest of the building is fine."
An AM reporter at the scene said structurally the building looked okay from outside.
The eatery has only recently re-opened after a refurbishment with new owners.
Fire and Emergency NZ provided the below safety advice following the incident:
- Store rags in a non-combustible container (metal) with a lid, away from the house, garage and any other combustible materials.
- Rags used with linseed oil should be allowed to dry completely in a safe place, away from flammable materials. The best way to achieve this is to lay the rags out flat on concrete and allow them to completely dry off.
- When washing rags or other items that have been exposed to oils - they should have a hot wash with detergent, be allowed to dry thoroughly and ensure that they have returned to normal temperature after being dried before being folded or put away.
