Members of the Watch Hill Fire Department responded to a local residence for a carbon monoxide detector activation during the early morning hours of Monday June 27th. Upon arrival firefighters found a light smoke condition in the residence and suspected a malfunction of the boiler. After turning off the boiler the smoke condition intensified and further investigation revealed a pile of towels soaked in linseed oil that had begun to spontaneously combust in a washing machine. The burning material was immediately removed and the smoldering items were extinguished. Thanks to the quick thinking of the well-trained members of the Watch Hill Fire Department a potentially major fire was averted.