Investigators have detemined that the improper disposal of floor cleaner was to blame for Thursday's Downtown fire that destroyed the historic Puccini's Golden West Saloon on Central.

About 10 hours before the fire erupted, saloon employees finished cleaning the floors with linseed oil, washed off the rags and put them in a plastic container under the bar.

The rags "spontaneously combusted," starting the fire that damaged Golden West, El Rey and Launchpad, investigators said.

Linseed oil is a popular cleaner for wooden floors and can cause fires if stored improperly. Investigators said the rags should have been kept dry and put into a metal container away from anything that was  flammable.

For more on this developing story, read Saturday's Albuquerque Journal. 

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