While many schools and businesses close when the weather gets bad, not so for the Fire Department. In fact it seems that when the weather gets poor our calls increase. Today was no exception. Shortly after the morning rush hour the severity of car accidents increased and we responded to several crashes with injuries.
This afternoon as the snow really started to pick-up we were summoned to a townhouse fire. The occupant awoke to crashing sounds in the bathroom. When the bathroom door was opened the fire was rolling down from the ceiling. First arriving police officers made sure everyone was out of the dwelling. Assistant Chief Tom Schmitz made entry into the structure with a fire extinguisher to knock the fire down. Some progress was made and the fire controlled. When the Pumpers and Ladder Trucks arrived the rest of the fire was knocked down and our salvage and overhaul operations were underway.
It appears the fire was accidental in nature and the result of the ceiling fan in the bathroom. Our Fire Marshal, Allen Nelson told me he replaces his ceiling fan every 5 years just to be sure it is always relatively new and in good working order. Not bad advice from someone that has seen a lot of fires and their causes.
The homeowner did suffer from some smoke inhalation and was transported by HCMC, the prognosis is good for a full and speedy recovery. The damage was enough that living in the unit in the short term won’t be possible.
With more snow on the way, we’ll see what the weekend has in store for us.
Below is a picture of the snowy scene.
