ELK, Wash. – It’s been known since September that the Oregon Road Fire was human caused, but Wednesday, The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed that “spontaneous combustion” was also part of the cause.
Spontaneous combustion is the occurrence of fire without the application of an external heat source.
Combustible materials self-heat to a temperature high enough for ignition to occur.
DNR says the cause of the fire is not as clear as the cause for the Gray Road Fire.
“Knowing the cause would help ease people’s minds. It was a disaster. There’s not a lot we can do about it… everyone would just like to know what happened,” Dustin Edmiston, an Elk resident who lost his home in the Oregon Road Fire, said.
Edmiston told NonStop Local that while losing his home was devastating, his family is now moving on with their lives.
“…honestly, in the end, it [knowing the cause of the fire] doesn’t really matter to me…it’s done and over with… You just gotta move on,” Edmiston said.
The source of the fire is still under investigation.
