Early morning fire claims Smyrna home
SMYRNA – Early this morning, volunteers were awakened to the sound of tones and radio chatter as firefighters from Smyrna, South Otselic and Plymouth were called to respond to a fire in the Town of Smyrna.
Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matthew L. Beckwith said crews responded to a 911 call at approximately 1 a.m. from the neighbor of a couple whose trailer was on fire on County Road 16, near Beaver Meadow.
The home of Austin Dubois was engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived at the scene.
“Unfortunately Dubois and his girlfriend had just moved into the residence a month earlier, and all their possessions were lost,” said Beckwith.
No one was injured in the blaze, but both victims were home and asleep when the fire began.
Beckwith said Dubois woke up to the smell of smoke and discovered that his porch and exterior of the trailer were in flames. Dubois’ girlfriend then ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911 while he attempted to save his property.
The Red Cross was contacted and arrangements for the couple to stay at a relative’s home in South Otselic were made.
“By the time crews arrived, there wasn’t much they could do. They confirmed everyone was out of the house and had the fire under control in about 35 minutes,” said Beckwith.
The Chenango County Bureau of Fire believe the fire was caused by improperly stored wood stove ashes.
“Believe it or not, here we are again,” said Beckwith in response to the discovery.
“We’ve had quite a few house fires over the years involving people not disposing their ashes properly. The ashes in this incident were stored in a five gallon plastic bucket on the trailer’s porch,” said Beckwith.
He explained that a number of fires in recent memory began by people taking wood stove ashes and storing them in cardboard or plastic containers, often inside the home.
“The ashes just keep heating and heating. Some can maintain a dangerous level of heat for as long as a week,” said Beckwith.
The Bureau of Fire recommends homeowners keep wood stove ashes in metal containers. If there is a safe dumping area, such as a damp embankment, then that is also acceptable. The containers should have tops to keep wind and oxygen from stirring any potential hazard and should be placed a safe distance from any structure.
Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matthew L. Beckwith said crews responded to a 911 call at approximately 1 a.m. from the neighbor of a couple whose trailer was on fire on County Road 16, near Beaver Meadow.
The home of Austin Dubois was engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived at the scene.
“Unfortunately Dubois and his girlfriend had just moved into the residence a month earlier, and all their possessions were lost,” said Beckwith.
No one was injured in the blaze, but both victims were home and asleep when the fire began.
Beckwith said Dubois woke up to the smell of smoke and discovered that his porch and exterior of the trailer were in flames. Dubois’ girlfriend then ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911 while he attempted to save his property.
The Red Cross was contacted and arrangements for the couple to stay at a relative’s home in South Otselic were made.
“By the time crews arrived, there wasn’t much they could do. They confirmed everyone was out of the house and had the fire under control in about 35 minutes,” said Beckwith.
The Chenango County Bureau of Fire believe the fire was caused by improperly stored wood stove ashes.
“Believe it or not, here we are again,” said Beckwith in response to the discovery.
“We’ve had quite a few house fires over the years involving people not disposing their ashes properly. The ashes in this incident were stored in a five gallon plastic bucket on the trailer’s porch,” said Beckwith.
He explained that a number of fires in recent memory began by people taking wood stove ashes and storing them in cardboard or plastic containers, often inside the home.
“The ashes just keep heating and heating. Some can maintain a dangerous level of heat for as long as a week,” said Beckwith.
The Bureau of Fire recommends homeowners keep wood stove ashes in metal containers. If there is a safe dumping area, such as a damp embankment, then that is also acceptable. The containers should have tops to keep wind and oxygen from stirring any potential hazard and should be placed a safe distance from any structure.
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