Fire investigators have determined that incandescent lights inside plastic pumpkins generated enough heat to ignite cornstalks on the front porch of a Meridian home Sunday. No one was injured in the blaze, but a woman and her two children were temporarily displaced from the home.
Meridian Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention Perry Palmer said the lights had been on for days.
"Incandescent bulbs will generate heat. They shouldn't be left on continuously," Palmer said. "When it's daylight, keep them unplugged. Be careful of the decorations you put around them. Don't place them against something combustible."
The house fire on East Tusa Street was reported at about 1:45 p.m. Sunday. Palmer said some people working on a house next door noticed the smoke and told a little girl to call 911 while they attacked the fire with a garden hose.
Palmer said 28 firefighters from Meridian and Boise were dispatched. There were five engines, two ladder trucks and two chief officers at the scene.
The fire was confined to the front porch and entryway of the two-story house, though there was smoke damage throughout, Palmer said. The initial estimate of the damage was $28,000, but that was revised to $45,000 on Monday. The estimate includes damage to the structure and contents, including a table and hutch. Palmer said work to repair the damage began today.
Palmer said no one was home at the time of the blaze, except the family dog. A neighbor let the dog out through a garage doggie door.
The woman and children displaced by the fire were provided with money and lodging from the department's burnout fund.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
