📣 MEDIA RELEASE via Greenwich Fire
Firefighters are urging the public to use caution when utilizing portable generators after an outbuilding was damaged by fire Wednesday evening. Greenwich Firefighters were called to a residence on Forsythe Rd South in White Rock shortly before 5:30pm when a resident reported a shed behind their home had caught fire.
When crews arrived on scene shortly after they found the homeowner had been able to contain the flames to the shed using a fire extinguisher, preventing it from spreading to a nearby workshop. Once crews extinguished the remaining hot spots they learned that the homeowner had been operating a generator inside the shed for most of the day as the area had been experiencing a power outage as a result of Wednesday’s winter storm.
Fire department investigators determined the cause of the fire to be accidental, caused by the generator being run indoors, with the hot exhaust in direct contact with combustible materials around a makeshift vent that had been cut in the side of the building by the homeowner.
The fire department says that residents should never operate portable generators indoors, not
only because of the risk of fire, but also due to the threat of carbon monoxide produced by the
exhaust. They also say the incident highlights the importance of having a working fire extinguisher in your home. “Thankfully the property owner had a working fire extinguisher and knew how to use it, which significantly limited the damage this fire could have caused, especially with the proximity of nearby buildings” says Fire Chief Jason Ripley.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, and crews cleared the scene shortly after 6pm.
