Fire investigators found that a Makaha house fire early today was accidentally caused by spontaneous combustion of discarded paint rags in a plastic trash can.

Honolulu Fire Department responded at 3:46 a.m. to the blaze at a two-story house at 84-139 Makau St.

The first unit arrived at 3:54 a.m. and found smoke and flames coming from the garage.

The blaze was brought under control at 4:20 a.m. and extinguished at 5:05 a.m.

Two men smelled the smoke and managed to safely escape. The house had a working smoke alarm.

Fire damages were estimated at $607,000 to the structure and $92,000 to its contents. The total property loss was estimated to be $699,000. No injuries were reported for this incident.

HFD says discarded paint rags should never be left in a pile. Instead, hang the rags out to dry or spread them on the ground and weigh them down to prevent them from blowing away.

Keep them away from buildings. Place in a metal container with a tight-fitting cover filled with water and detergent, which will break down the oils.