Strange Circumstances Start Fire; Kitchen Pipes Extinguish It

A plastic gift wrap container in a newly remodeled kitchen nearly spelled disaster for a family on Quarter Mile Road Wednesday night.

According to Tim Smith, the residents came home and noticed that they left the lights on, and the house was filled with smoke.

The was called at 5:51 p.m. and arrived within minutes.

The Chief requested halogen lights and an infrared camera from engine 35.

What happened?

Smith said investigation revealed that a large plastic gift wrap container that had been placed on a countertop was positioned in such a way that it turned one of the burners on the stove on a low setting, causing the plastic box to melt.

The countertop fire erupted, melting the face of a convection oven, burning the countertops and scorching the new wood cabinets in that area of the kitchen.

There was a fire in the kitchen, but as "luck" would have it the water pipes under the sink burst from the heat and put the fire out.