Space Heater Catches Dog House on Fire

TARKINGTON, December 17, 2008 - Around 4:45 on Tuesday afternoon, Tarkington firefighters were called to a home on CR 2174 for a fire. The neighbor across the street called the fire in, reporting he could see flames shooting from the front porch. Tarkington Engine 51 with Assistant Chief Dalton Lee Gregory and three firefighters on board responded quickly. However, the call was at the very edges of TVFD’s territory and nearly fifteen miles from the fire station. Luckily, bystanders were able to stretch a garden hose and extinguish the fire before TVFD arrived, especially considering there were people in the house unaware of the fire on the porch.

Tarkington firefighter Kyle Boegler uses the Thermal Imaging Camera to make sure that fire has not spread into the walls of the house.

Upon their arrival, firefighters used the Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) to make sure that the fire had not spread into the walls of the house. The TIC is an $8,000 piece of equipment that many fire departments do not have, but that TVFD is fortunate to have acquired. The TIC also allows firefighters to search through a burning house and locate trapped victims through the choking smoke, a task that would have to be done by feeling around in the dark without the TIC.

Fortunately, due to the quick actions of those there, the fire was contained to the front porch. Apparently, the homeowner had a doghouse on the front porch and was using a space heater to keep the animals warm, which then caught the doghouse on fire. Tarkington VFD advises residents to exercise extreme caution when using heating appliances and to refrain from using these around animals whenever possible.


Photo courtesy of Cassie Gregory

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