CANTON ‒ A hungry dog and an air conditioner’s overheated electrical cord caused two separate fires in the early hours of Aug. 22, the Canton Fire Department said.
Firefighters responded at 1:40 a.m. to the accidental electrical fire at 820 High Ave. NW.
“Upon arrival the fire department found heavy fire coming from the front of the structure,” Division Chief Steven Henderson said in a press release. “The sole female occupant of the home arrived at the structure while extinguishment was in progress, she stated that the cord to her air conditioner overheated and started the fire.”
The damage at the two-and-a-half story structure on High Avenue was estimated at $18,300. The value of lost contents is estimated at $5,000. The house will likely have to be razed due to heavy fire damage, Henderson said. The American Red Cross arrived to assist the female occupant.
Firefighters also responded to a report of a possible fire at 1328 St. Elmo NE at 2:24 a.m.
“On arrival the fire department found four adults and six children outside the home,” Henderson said. “The owner of the home stated that they had food on the stovetop of their first-floor kitchen, where one of their dogs, while attempting to get to the food, turned on one of the electric burners starting a fire.
“Fortunately, smoke detectors alerted the occupants of the fire allowing them to safely exit the home. Once everyone was out of the home the occupants were able to extinguish the fire with a garden hose prior to fire department arrival. There was minor damage to the oven and light smoke damage to the kitchen.”
The occupants were able to remain in their home. There were no injuries to humans or pets.
The accidental fire caused no damage to the two-and-a-half story structure. Damage to the contents was estimated at $500.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton firefighters respond to two house fires, one caused by a dog
Reporting by Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository / The Repository
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