Oil-based wood stains and linseed oil can burn without any spark. Oil-based wood stains and linseed oil can combust and burn even without any spark to ignite the fire, officials say. … Oil-based wood stains and linseed oil can combust and burn even without any spark to initiate the fire, officials say.

Can linseed oil catch on fire?

Here’s how it happens: when linseed oil is exposed to air, it combines with the oxygen molecules. This chemical reaction creates heat. If the linseed oil is on something like a cotton rag, it can catch fire at as low as 120 degrees — with no outside spark.

How long does it take linseed oil to catch fire?

A thermal imager showed spots where the linseed oil had begun to heat up—from 87 degrees to a whopping 110 degrees in just an hour. The science behind this scary phenomenon? When linseed oil combines with air, the oxygen molecules cause a chemical reaction that creates heat.