A Bishop resident, asleep in the living room, awoke to the smell of smoke early Friday morning.

At 2:42 AM, the fire sirens let out a cry into the night. Many people in town likely lifted their heads off their pillows, mumbled something perhaps, then went back to sleep. Not so for the Bishop Volunteer firefighters.

Volunteers responded to the home on West Elm Street, where Chief Ray Seguine reports light smoke was visible. Firefighters found a paper sack that the resident had filled with ashes after cleaning out the woodstove had re-kindled and set the wood floor on fire.

The fire fighters had to cut a hole through the floor because the fire had spread into the crawl space under the house. The flames were put out in short order, but the fire was reported just in time. After the fire spread into the crawlspace, Chief Seguine said that it was a matter of minutes before the fire took off.

Seguine said that one of the smoke detectors had been disabled, while the other did not have a battery. One of the residents was asleep in the living and woke in time. Seguine said the two residents dodged a bullet.

As for ashes in a paper sack, Seguine said that this is a common type of fire. He recommends a metal bucket with a lid, not a plastic bucket or any other combustible material. He also recommends checking the smoke detectors in your home.

The volunteer firefighters were back home in time to go to work, but were called out again Friday for a chimney fire on See Vee at 2:30 pm.

 

 

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