On Sunday 7/30/2017 around 1:00 a.m. the Huletts Landing fire whistle blew and pagers went off with a message that there was an explosion at a home on Bluff Head road that blew a hole in the floor and is creating a heavy smoke condition. Huletts, Dresden, Whitehall and Putnam Fire Departments along with Skeensboro EMS all responding.
I’m happy to report that the smoke was actually steam, and the hole was in the kitchen wall (not the floor), which cleared the kitchen counter top of everything on it. The cause was a furnace that failed to shut off and ruptured the main cast iron hot water line.
The occupants will testify that the whole house shook from the explosion, with all the items on the kitchen counter crashing to the floor.
The renters are to be applauded for exiting the home in a safe and organized manner. There were two ways out so they didn’t have to walk thru the broken bottles on the kitchen floor They assembled in a safe place, accounted for each other and made that information readily available when we arrived.
From every call we try to learn something, we drill so certain actions become automatic in the face of danger, it makes us better. So the question I have for the community is:
Do you have two ways out of your residence, practice fire drills in your homes, advise any renters or children on how to get out, account for each other, and assemble together in a safe place? Be sure to check your smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Proper planning saves lives.
Please thank your firemen for their healthy hearts and bravery for running toward the danger without hesitation from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. I am so proud to be 1 of 30 of this community service organization. Most of all, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Jay VanderPlaat
Fire Chief