Two Augusta County house fires over the weekend point to the greater risk of such fires during freezing winter weather, authorities said.
Augusta County Fire and Rescue Chief Carson Holloway described the winter as a difficult time during which homeowners may use electric heaters and kerosene heaters to warm homes, and heating tape to insulate pipes from freezing.
Holloway suggested that with heating tape, the user should make certain the tape is approved by Underwriters Laboratories.
And the chief said homeowners should check the status of their smoke alarms and smoke detectors.
Holloway said late Monday that the cause of a fire that heavily damaged a doublewide trailer at 135 Offliter Road in Stuarts Draft on Sunday was “undetermined.”
Because of significant damage, the undetermined cause could stand “unless the Virginia State Police come up with something,” Holloway said.
The residents of the Offliter Road home were away during the Christmas holiday. The fire kept four departments on the scene, and the blaze was not completely cleared until just after 7 p.m.
Later Sunday, an electrical fire in the basement of a home on Middlebrook Road in Arbor Hill displaced a family but did not cause significant damage, authorities said.
While the weekend fires in Stuarts Draft and Arbor Hill remain under investigation, Holloway said his office has not seen an increase in fires due to secondary heat sources.
The Blue Ridge office of the American Red Cross in Verona said that office has not been called for assistance during Christmas week.
“Usually, the winter is our peak season because of fires from space heaters, fireplaces and alternative heat sources,” said Blue Ridge Office Program Director Jill Siegel. “This has not been a very busy fire season for us thus far.”
Siegel said the Red Cross’ regional chapter, which covers 14 counties in this part of the state, was busy from Dec. 16 to 18.
“We were called to about six fires in three days,” she said.
Article source: http://www2.newsvirginian.com/news/2010/dec/28/fires-point-winter-vulnerability-ar-739041/
Category: Vulnerabilities/Exploits