Orange firefighters douse house fire, rescue family's pets

ORANGE, Conn. - July 11, 2020 - PRLog -- An Orange family came home last night to find their home on fire, but members of the Orange Volunteer Fire Department were able to extinguish the fire, saving the home and rescuing the family's pets.

Firefighters were called to 538 Chippendale Lane last night around 9:15 after the family arrived home to discover heavy smoke in their garage.

"The smoke came rolling out when their garage door went up," said Fire Chief Vaughan Dumas. "They immediately dialed 9-1-1 and we responded."

When firefighters arrived at the 2,300-square-foot ranch-style home, they found heavy smoke throughout. Using thermal imaging cameras, they checked the entire home and found the fire in a 200-square-foot room in the basement.

"Once we found it, we were able to knock it down quickly," said Dumas. "Heavy smoke and high amounts of carbon monoxide had filled the home, so we ventilated the house." Firefighters also pulled three dogs to safety.

Dumas said the family routinely kept the door to the basement room closed, and that minimized the spread of the fire.

"Closing doors is an important way to stop the spread of fire and protect yourself from fire," said Dumas. "In this case, it kept the fire contained to the room in the basement. We could see the charring and the soot on the back of the door to the room. It's a great lesson about keeping doors closed, including bedroom doors at night. Underwriters Laboratories (https://closeyourdoor.org/) has done studies that show the significant amount of heat and carbon monoxide that a closed door can block."

Dumas said the fire caused about $100,000 in damages in the home. Deputy Fire Marshal Timothy Borer is leading the investigation of the fire.

About the Orange Volunteer Fire Association

The Orange Volunteer Fire Association provides fire protection residents and businesses in Orange and, through mutual aid, surrounding towns. Members receive training in fire suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response, homeland security issues and other emergency services.

Operating strictly with revenues from fund-raisers and donations, the Orange Volunteer Fire Department is one of the remaining few all-volunteer incorporated fire departments in Connecticut. Active members are on-call to serve the community on a 24-hour/seven-day basis, responding from stations on Orange Center Road and Boston Post Road.

In addition, the fire company offers public education services including lectures, demonstrations and training. For information about membership, donations or public education, call (203) 891-4703,  click on https://www.orangevfd.org/  or find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OrangeVoluneerFireDepartment/).