Mary Alice Reporting –
A woman was treated for smoke inhalation after a blaze broke out in an apartment unit.
Bolivar Fire Department was toned out Monday, at 3:50pm, to 774 Kingwood Drive to an apartment where a moderate amount of smoke was showing from the second story window.
Chief Shawn Lynch says an occupant was home at the time but a smoke alarm alerted the woman to the blaze.
“She was sleeping and woke up to the bedroom being on fire. The guys made entry with a hose line and found the upstairs bedroom was on fire, so they extinguished it with water.”
He explains that the cause is accidental and was from a square box fan.
“It had fell over to a point where the motor got too hot cause it wasn’t moving air. Created a drag on the motor and overheated, and that’s what started the fire, and then it extended across the carpet and up under the bed and caught the bed on fire.”
The bedroom suffered from heavy smoke and heat damage, the upper floor had moderate smoke damage, and the downstairs had minimal smoke damage.
Assisting at the scene was Smith Ambulance and fire departments from Dover, Strasburg, and Mineral City.
This incident serves a good reminder to install smoke alarms on all levels of a home and if utilizing a fan, to keep it on a stable surface and a clear space all around.
Copyright WTUZ Radio Inc., 2023