Community Corner

Recipe For Disaster: Discarded Cigarette, Dry, Windy Conditions

Firefighters again called to Riverside Drive for a reported fire at a home.

When a fire tone goes off and the dispatcher calls Orange volunteer firefighters to Riverside Drive, everyone listens.

The quiet neighborhood has seen more than its share of fires, including the blaze that claimed the life of an elderly man a couple of years ago. His neighbor, who happened to be home at the time saw an unusual amount of smoke coming from the house, ran inside and carried the man out.

On Friday afternoon around 5:30 p.m. a resident came home, saw smoke and called 911.

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Fire Chief Charlie Gagel said a discarded cigarette blew against the exterior wall of the home. "It's a good thing it happened at 5:30 in the afternoon and not at 3 a.m. No one was hurt and there was minimal damage," he said.

Fire Marshal Tim Smith echoed Gagel's thoughts. "It was a smoldering fire between the wooden front steps and the exterior wall of the home, the wind worked like a bellows for a fireplace" he said. "Luckily they were home and it was caught early, because left undetected, it could have been much worse."

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Smith took the opportunity to mention that fireplace ash, cigarettes and other such items should be disposed of properly and safely and far away from homes and combustible items.


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