Now this is something I've always known, and have always taken caution with, for decades, except this past weekend. I even thought about it while I was doing it, but figured "fuck it, I'm hungry, and supper is ready"
ALWAYS SOAK OILY RAGS IN WATER, AND NEVER BUNCH THEM TOGETHER.
I restained my fence last weekend (see the "what did you do today thread" from a week ago) and it's the type of oil-based where you apply it, then wipe off the excess. So a have a large mittful of these oily rags. Like I said, I was hungry, and hadn't heard of anyone having a fire this way for years, and wrongly assumed the oils we use now are less volatile. So I chucked them all into my (detached) garage garbage can.
I was in and out of the garage all week going to work. Even threw a few coffee cups in there. Then today, just an hour ago, my wife and I were too hungover to cook supper, so we ordered take-out. As I'm approaching my garage, I can smell something funny, and when I opened the door, the garage was FILLED with smoke.
Turns out, oil stain is no less volatile than it was back in the day. Good thing we were hungover, otherwise my garage, tools, Merc, and my wife's 72 goat would all be gone.
Literally a week for that shit to start fire too. Fucking crazy.