The Racine Fire Department responded to a 911 call about an early morning fire at 1419 Lincoln St. on Friday. A resident of the home called 911 to report a possible fire in the basement. Crews were dispatched at 1:52 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters reported “moderate smoke on the first floor and moved to the basement where they encountered heavy black smoke and heat.” It took firefighters only 15 minutes to extinguish the fire. The house was then checked for victims and subsequent extensions of the original fire. No victims or other fires were found.
Five people and one family dog were able to exit the premises without injury. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, however, unattended candles are thought to be the cause of the fire in the basement.
The family was alerted to the fire by smoke alarms in the home. Working smoke alarms are vital to residential safety; as in this case, they prevented a serious tragedy as everyone in the home was asleep when the fire broke out.
A total of 23 firefighters responded and worked to extinguish the fire. Traffic control, as well as the fire investigation, was lent assistance by the Racine Police Department.
Racine Fire Department Reminds Residents
It is important to remember the danger of leaving candles unattended around a large supply of combustibles. If leaving the room with candles for any reason, remember to blow out the candles and keep them at least three feet away from anything that can burn.
The Racine Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau is available for fire safety inquiries. Call 262-635-7915 for valuable information.
In all, the fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damages:
Structure: $25,000
Contents: $5,000
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