Porch Fire on Ardmore Reminder of Smoking Risk
(C. Proxmire, May 7, 2013)
A quick response from Ferndale Police and Fire prevented a small porch fire on Ardmore from getting out of control. The fire was caused by a cigarette that had been put into a standing ash tray.
A police officer arrived first on the scene and used a portable extinguisher to quell the flames.
“Had the police officer not put it out with an extinguisher it could have been much worse damage wise, even with us arriving 1 to 2 minutes behind PD,” said Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan. “Fires can double in size every 11 seconds.”
The porch is charred, with damage to the floor and a bench. Plus siding on the house melted.
Sullivan said that putting butts into a plastic container is not enough, because they can burn through the plastic and the melted plastic can then act like a fuel. “If you’re going to discard into plastic, put a little bit of water in it to make sure the cigarette is all the way out,” he said.
Here are some previous fire-related stories:
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/07/12/candles-cause-fire-on-rosewood/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2012/05/17/animal-fat-on-fire-in-factory-on-wordsworth/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/12/08/fire-safety-for-the-wintertime/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/12/09/fire-at-chazzano-coffee/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/09/24/ferndale-companies-work-on-fire-station-doors/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/03/22/ajs-cafe-closed-due-to-fire-concert-carries-on/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/01/12/tools-of-the-trade-in-the-ferndale-fire-department/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/04/17/four-firefighters-get-six-more-months-of-work/