UPDATED: Fire Quickly Extinguished at Auburndale Two-Family

Update Thurs., Aug. 30 3:30 p.m. 

According to Newton Fire Deputy Chief Mike Castro, the Aug. 25 fire on Auburn Street was the result of "spontaneous combustion due to rags that were disposed of in a barrel" next to the house. 

Castro said the rags were soaked in "finishing liquid" used on the home's back deck. 

The fire has been ruled as accidental, Castro said, and the estimated cost of damage to the house was around $50,000. 

Mon., Aug. 27 11:50 a.m. - Newton Patch has reached out to the Fire Department for more details on the cause of the fire and will update the story as more information becomes available.

Posted earlier:

No one was home at a two-family house in Auburndale when it caught fire Saturday night.

Firefighters responded to a call from a neighbor who saw flames coming up the side of 194 Auburn St., and called 911 at about 7:45 p.m.

Bob Hogan lives nearby and said he noticed smoke and initially thought someone had a gas grill fire. When he walked over to investigate, Hogan said, he saw what looked like a garbage bag smoking. Flames quickly started shooting up, and Hogan called 911.

responded to the scene and the fire was extinguished by about 8:05 p.m., though firefighters continued to remove siding and insulation to check for smoldering, according to Newton Fire Capt. Mark Roche.

It appears as though the fire started outside, though the official cause is still under investigation, Deputy Chief Mike Castro said.

One of the two units in the building is currently for lease.

Newton Patch will update with more info as it becomes available.