SPACE HEATER
BURNS DOWN MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY HOME. THE
ILL-PLACED SPACE HEATER USED TO KEEP WATER PIPES FROM FREEZING
January 12, 2015 at 1:15pm
A space heater sparked the fire at a Rosemilt Place
residence on Jan. 10, leaving the home uninhabitable.
A Morristown home on Saturday caught fire due to an
ill-placed space heater used to keep water pipes from freezing, reported The Morristown
Green.
Emergency services responded to a 11:44 p.m. call on
Saturday that reported a rapidly-growing fire at 30 Rosemilt Place, according
to The Green.
The blaze began in the garage, but quickly engulfed the
entire structure, Morristown Fire Chief Robert Flanagan told the publication,
adding that with the frigid temperature, it took firefighters an hour to
extinguish the flames, according to The Green.
The homeowner evacuated without injury, but damage to
his home -- and the Thunderbird parked in the driveway -- is beyond repair,
states the Green.
Neighbors witnessing the scene recounted to
the local news source how the flames spread throughout the entire
two-story home in mere minutes.
Officials determined the fire was likely the result of
the space heater placed too close to combustible materials, like paper,
clothing and curtains, Chief Flanagan later explained to NJ.com.
Using space heaters near combustible items accounts for
more than half of all home heating fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. To avoid
a home fire while using a space heater, the organization recommends keeping a
36-inch radius from any items that may catch flame.