At approximately 2:48 AM, Wapello Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a residential electrical fire at Woodland Mobile Home Park. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a duplex electric receptacle that had caught fire inside a wall of the home. Fortunately the occupants of the home were awake at the time of the incident and were able leave the home and notify 911. There was no working smoke detector in the residence. The cause of the fire was due to a circuit overload from a space heater being plugged into a multi-outlet strip along with an oversized circuit breaker. This family was extremely lucky that they were awake to smell the fire when it started. Had they been sleeping at the time with no working smoke detectors, this could have easily been a triple fatality. Wapello Fire crews installed two new smoke detectors before leaving the scene.This incident is a good reminder of the importance of working smoke detectors and following manufacturer recommendations when using space heaters. You can visit the NFPA website for information on space heater safety. nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/causes/heating
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:02:38 +0000
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