EARLVILLE – An early morning electrical fire kept emergency crews from Earlville and surrounding departments busy for several hours on Friday, as they worked to extinguish the blaze which gutted a rural farmhouse on Borden Road just North of the Madison County line.
“The call came in at 6:33 a.m.,” reported Earlville Fire Chief Robert Tracy, who said the residents of the home – Jen Brown and Carrie Hartz – were asleep on the second story when the fire broke out. They awoke to a strange smell, he said, and when they investigated, discovered flames coming from an electrical outlet at which time they called 911.
Tracy said the rear of the structure was already heavily engulfed in flames when he and his crew arrived on scene shortly thereafter. By the time responders were able to extinguish the blaze, the interior of the house was “pretty much totaled,” he said.
The fire rekindled at approximately 10:30, the Earlville chief reported from the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m. At that time, his crew was working with members of the Hamilton Fire Department to remove the tin roof from the structure in order to prevent further rekindling.
According to Tracy, the Madison County fire investigator determined the fire to be “electrical in nature,” and had originated in the home’s wiring during a brownout which had left the area without power for approximately three hours the night before.
“Power didn’t get restored until 6:35 (according to NYSEG),” the chief said, moments after the 911 call was placed.
In the event of a power outage, “it’s a smart thing to unplug everything,” Tracy recommended, to avoid disasters such as this.
Neither Hartz and Brown, who were renting the farmhouse, were injured in the fire. Three children who also resided in the home, were away for the summer. The pair had planned on moving out in just two weeks, to relocate to Virginia where Brown, who was until recently an assistant basketball coach at Colgate University, had accepted a new coaching position.
According to Hartz, it was Brown who woke first and discovered the fire.
“She saved us,” she said, explaining that in the past she had teased her about being an early riser, but now she was grateful for it.
“I just thank God everybody is OK,” said Brown, who described the experience as “very traumatic.”
It was her first time having to call 911, she said, as she recalled dialing her cell phone while dashing through the house grabbing up important items. She said she was initially confused by the number of questions she was asked when she reported the house fire, but had nothing but praise for the responders who arrived on the scene moments after her call.
“They were excellent,” she said. “They came here immediately. All the fire departments were excellent.”
In addition to the Earlville Fire Department, crews from Sherburne, Hamilton, Hubbardsville and North Brookfield also responded to the scene. Red Cross Disaster Services were also on hand to assist the victims of the fire.