A pair of properties are destroyed on Penhale Avenue in St. Thomas, Ont. after {an electrical} fireplace set a storage ablaze Sunday night time.
Simply after 7 p.m., the St. Thomas Hearth Division (STFD) responded to a number of 911 requires a home on fireplace on Penhale.
“When crews arrived it was engulfed in flames, extending over to the neighbor’s house,” mentioned Shannon Ashton, fireplace prevention officer with STFD.Firefighters assault a blaze on Penhale Ave. in St. Thomas, Ont. on Sunday Sept. 29, 2024 (Supply: Frank Pelsoczi)
Each households have been residence on the time, and the proprietor of the house the place the fireplace began rapidly alerted his spouse and youngsters to get out of the house.
“The husband tried to put it out and it just kept extending and got out of control,” said Ashton. “He was unable to do any more, so he had to get out. He called us along with multiple 911 calls as the fire and smoke could be seen across the city.”
Firefighters have been in a position to rescue the household canine from the yard.
Officers say the house owner was a duck hunter and had quite a lot of provides within the storage, together with lithium batteries, used within the pastime.
“Here we have some of the batteries we pulled from the garage,” mentioned Matt Rumas, fireplace prevention officer with the STFD who was displaying among the gadgets collected from the fireplace. “You can see that the cap there was attached to a battery and we’re going to have to try to find where that battery is in the fire this morning.”
Rumas collected the batteries and introduced them again close to the dumpster on the fireplace corridor, saying they may simply ignite once more.
St. Thomas Hearth Prevention Officer Matt Rumas exhibits off the Lithium-ion batteries which have been doubtlessly the reason for a large fireplace in St. Thomas Sunday night (Supply: Brent Lale/CTV London)
“This one is still reacting a little bit and these hold a charge long after,” mentioned Rumas. “This could still be a fire hazard even up to a week later.”
Rumas added lithium batteries are typically protected and secure, however when overheated they’ll catch fireplace and self-ignite, “We’re actually going to be coming up with a lithium-ion safety campaign coming up very soon. So this just happened to be, bad timing or good timing, depending on how you look at it.”
St. Thomas Hearth and St. Thomas Police Service (STPS) have been each concerned within the investigation.
“A joint investigation between police and [firefighters] showed that the fire was accidental in nature and there is no concern for public safety,” STPS mentioned in a press release Monday. “We would like to thank all first responders involved, especially St Thomas Fire for their professionalism and hard work.”
Whereas the batteries are the seemingly explanation for the fireplace, it’s nonetheless underneath investigation.
The householders misplaced the whole lot, leaving with simply their garments on their backs. Neighbours have began to rally round them, and are actually fundraising to assist.
