During the early morning hours of Saturday, November 22, 2014, a beeping smoke alarm woke up a tenant in an apartment located in the 500 block of Trunk Road. The tenant discovered the motor housing of an electric fan smoking and managed to get the fan unplugged, but not before flames developed in the plastic housing. The tenant alerted Fire Services via a 911 call and left her apartment unharmed, closing the door behind her.
“This fire started from the overheating of a seized fan motor and could have been far worse had early detection not been present,” reported Fire Prevention Officer Rocco Celetti. “It’s an event like this when an occupant is alerted by a smoke alarm while sleeping that justifies the requirement for smoke alarms on every level of the home.”
Fire damage was limited to the fan, with light smoke damage throughout the remainder of the apartment.
