For the second time this week, a residential fire was sparked by an incandescent light bulb, and the Turlock Fire Department was once again able to quickly control the blaze.
At approximately 10:06 p.m. on Monday, Turlock fire responded to the 500 block of South Minaret Avenue to put out the residential fire.
According to the report from the Turlock Fire Department, the family was at home when they began smelling and then seeing smoke in the house. As the smoke detector started sounding, the occupants quickly checked the oven and air conditioning unit to see if either was causing the smoke. When they couldn’t find the source of the smoke, they vacated the house and called 911.
The first fire unit arrived, entered the home, and were able to locate a small fire in a back bedroom.
Fire crews were able to quickly put out the fire with a water canister, and removed the burnt objects from the room.
The fire was under control within five minutes of the first fire unit arriving, but crews remained on scene to ventilate the remaining smoke from the residence and investigate the cause of the fire.
The Turlock Fire Department reports that the fire was caused by a table lamp that had been left on with a towel laid over the top of it. An occupant allegedly placed the towel on the lamp while changing, and left the room, forgetting about the towel and leaving the lamp on. The towel melted to the hot light bulb and eventually caught fire.
The damage is only estimated at about $100 for the contents of the home damaged, according to the Turlock Fire Department.
A similar fire broke out on Thursday, when a table lamp that had been left on fell on a large pile of blankets and caught fire.
The Turlock Fire Department said it was fortunate that the lamp fire caused by the towel started earlier in the evening, while the occupants were still awake. The blaze could have become a much larger fire had everyone in the home been sleeping.
The Turlock Fire Department reminds citizens to use caution with lamps and powered appliances. Always make sure they are used as intended and are unplugged and/or turned off when not in use.
