Open Door Feeds Fire

  San Bernardino County Steven Castagnola, Engineer/Public Information Officer reports that October 30^th Thursday morning just before 7:00 P.M., a structure fire in a Phelan residence was reported after an occupant saw smoke coming from the rear of the house through the open front door. The occupant immediately closed the front door and called 911.  

The first unit on scene, Fire Fighters from nearby San Bernardino County #10 in Phelan, arrived in just under five minutes to find heavy smoke coming from the roof of the residence. The fire crews initiated an aggressive attack, and were able to confine the fire to the laundry room and an adjacent bedroom.

San Bernardino County Fire responded with four engines, two brush patrols, an ambulance, and a battalion chief. It took a total of seventeen firefighters less than twenty minutes to fully extinguish the fire.

Two major factors can be contributed to the small fire spread. First, when the resident found the fire and quickly closed the door, the fire was starved of additional oxygen. A fire needs oxygen to burn, by closing the door; the resident reduced the amount of oxygen available to the fire. Had the door been left open, a greater amount of oxygen would have been available to the fire, and would have contributed to a larger and more aggressive fire spread.

Second, was the relatively close proximity of the residence to the nearest fire station. The cause of the fire is under investigation, with damage to the structure estimated at approximately $100,000. There were no injuries to the occupants or firefighters. The American Red Cross was requested to the scene to provide assistance to the displaced residents.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department reminds everyone that with the upcoming time change, it is recommended that individuals change the batteries in their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

“Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries.!”