Crews make quick work of basement fire in St. John's house
Firefighters responded to, and quickly put out, a fire in a home on Bonaventure Avenue in St. John's, across from Brother Rice Junior High.
The fire, which was reported just before noon by a passerby who saw smoke, appears to have started in the dryer, said Gerry O'Neil, acting platoon chief for the St. John's Regional Fire Department.
"When our crews arrived on the scene there was some heavy smoke in the basement, light smoke throughout the rest of the house," he said.
No one was in the home at the time, and there were no injuries.
Firefighters entered through the basement and were able to put the fire out without difficulty.
"Luckily today it's a little cooler than it has been the past couple of weeks," he said.
"With the hot weather it can be very challenging for our firefighters, with heat exhaustion."
The fire was caught early, and damage is limited to minor smoke damage upstairs and smoke and water damage in the basement, O'Neil said.
He credits the passerby who called the fire department, and who also stayed in the area to pass information along to fire crews.
O'Neil said the incident should serve as an important reminder: don't leave the house with your dryer on.
"We're not saying that's what happened here, but it's not something you should be doing, leaving your dryer running and leaving your residence."
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