FEBRUARY 13, 2015
BENSALEM, PA:
Unfortunately many mobile homes are not well insulated to be
able to protect the pipes from freezing and bursting. If the pipes freeze, you should never use any
heat source such as a heat-gun or a torch to thaw them, as it may ignite the combustible
material of the home. Torches and heat
guns have sparked many fires, so take this advice very seriously.
A Bensalem homeowner attempting to thaw frozen pipes
accidentally set his mobile home on fire Friday morning.
One firefighter was injured in the fire in the 400 block of
Wicker Avenue, which was reported shortly before 8 a.m., Battalion Chief Robert
Sponheimer said. It was placed under control within 20 minutes, but not before
destroying the house.
The homeowner was outside using a heat gun to defrost
exposed frozen pipes under the mobile home, Sponheimer said. It appears the
super-heated tool ignited the wood and insulation under the mobile home skirt,
he added.
The homeowner used a fire extinguisher to put out a small
fire, but didn’t realize the blaze was not fully extinguished and spread,
Sponheimer said. The homeowner and his dog escaped, he added.
A firefighter with Bensalem Fire Rescue was taken to a
hospital with hand injuries. His condition was not immediately known.