So my neighbor Dave last week? He’s cleaning out his garage and he’s got this old lawnmower. Says to me “hey can I just toss this in storage with some gas still in it? Be fine right?”
And I’m standing there like… Dave. Dave no.
But here’s the thing – Dave’s not dumb. He’s actually pretty smart. He just genuinely didn’t know. And that got me thinking about how many of us probably do stuff like this without realizing.
You ever really think about what’s in your storage unit? Like really think?
The Stuff Hiding in Your Boxes
I was helping my cousin move stuff into hers last month and she pulls out this box of old paint cans. “From when we painted the nursery,” she says. “The kid’s 12 now.” So these cans have been sitting there for over a decade, swelling up from heat, fumes building up inside. One hot summer day and that unit could’ve been toast.
Scary part? She had no idea.
Another thing. My uncle restores old furniture as a hobby. Beautiful stuff. He’s got these rags soaked in stain and varnish and he just throws them in a pile in his workshop. I told him about how those can literally catch fire on their own – like no spark needed, just chemical heat building up – and he looked at me like I had three heads. Googled it later that night and called me freaking out because he’d been doing this for twenty years and never knew.
Made me wonder what else we’re all doing without thinking.
The Battery Thing Nobody Talks About
You ever store batteries loose in a drawer or a box? I used to. All the time. Dead batteries from the remote, old AA’s, whatever. Just toss em in. Then I learned that if the terminals touch something metal – a paperclip, some aluminum foil, another battery the wrong way – they can spark. Not gonna start a fire by themselves probably but in a unit full of old magazines and cardboard boxes? Why risk it?
And propane tanks. Oh man. People put those little green camping tanks in storage all the time. “It’s almost empty,” they say. Almost empty means still has gas. Gas plus heat equals bad day.
It’s Usually the Dumb Stuff
Here’s the thing though. Most storage unit fires? They’re not these big dramatic chemical explosion things. They’re small and stupid. Someone smoking near the units and a cigarette butt lands in some dry leaves. A space heater left running in a unit overnight because somebody was working in there. A string of Christmas lights plugged in for some reason (I’ve seen it happen).
Slow motion disasters.
A Story That Stuck With Me
I remember talking to this woman years ago – must’ve been 2018 maybe – who lost everything in a storage fire. She stored her late mother’s stuff while she was grieving. Furniture, photos, letters, all of it. Fire started three units down from hers. Somebody’s old freezer with food still in it (why? why would you do that?) had a motor that kicked on trying to keep things cold and overheated. By the time they figured out what was happening, half the building was gone.
She told me she wishes every single day she’d just paid the extra $8 a month for insurance. Eight dollars. That’s a fancy coffee. She’d give anything to have that coffee back now.
Makes you think right?
What I See Walking Through Units Every Morning
I’m not trying to scare you off storage. We use storage for good reasons. Moving, traveling, downsizing, whatever. Storage is useful. I run New Burton Storage obviously I think storage is great. But I also walk through our units every morning and I see stuff that makes me wince sometimes.
Extension cords running under doors. Boxes stacked to the ceiling blocking everything. That weird smell of gasoline from someone’s lawn equipment.
And I get it. You’re busy. You’re just trying to get stuff out of your house so you can have your living room back. Last thing you want to do is inventory every single thing going into that unit.
Just Take Two Minutes
But maybe just… think about it for a second before you lock that door. That can of paint thinner from 2019? Probably better off at the hazardous waste place. Those oily rags from staining the deck? Lay them out flat to dry outside first, then store them. That propane tank? Just take it home.
Little stuff adds up.
Yeah I’m Gonna Talk About Cigarettes
Oh and cigarettes. I know people smoke. Not gonna lecture anyone. But if you’re loading a unit and you step out for a smoke, please please please make sure that thing is dead before you toss it. Not stomped into the ground where it could smolder. Actually dead. Water if you gotta. I’ve seen too many dumpster fires start from “I thought it was out.”
Same with candles. You’d be amazed how many people think lighting a candle in their storage unit is fine. “Just for a minute while I find stuff.” No. Just no. Use a flashlight.
Bottom Line
Alright I’m rambling now. Point is – you don’t have to be paranoid about fire. Just be aware. If something feels sketchy to store, it probably is. If you’re standing there going “hmm I wonder if this is okay” – trust that little voice. Ask somebody. Leave it in the truck and think about it later.
Because your stuff matters. Those photos, that furniture from your grandparents, your kids’ artwork from kindergarten – you can’t replace that. No insurance check buys that back.
Anyway. End of my soapbox. Hope this helps somebody think twice before they lock that door.
One Last Thing
If you’re ever storing with us over at New Burton Storage and you’re not sure about something, just ask. We’d rather answer a hundred “dumb” questions than have one fire. Seriously. No eye rolls, no judgment. We just want everyone’s stuff safe.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on Dave’s lawnmower situation.
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