Fire departments from Bryson City, Alarka, West Swain, Qualla and EBCI coordinated on the response to a structure fire in the Galbraith Creek community this past Friday.
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Bryson City Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the Galbraith Creek community on Friday night, Dec. 13.
The call went out at 9:04 p.m. to a house located at 400 Stone Pile Gap Road off Galbraith Creek Road. Upon arrival, responders found a lot of smoke coming from the home. No injuries were reported. The residents were out of the house. Quickly, firefighters entered the home and put a small fire that was in the basement under control.
“The fire caused moderate damage to the house,” said BCFD Chief Charles Bryson. “The cause is still under investigation, but we suspect the owner had recently emptied ashes from a woodstove and had left it in a metal pail that was next to combustibles.”
Additional responding agencies included Alarka Volunteer Fire Department, West Swain Volunteer Fire Department, Qualla Fire & Rescue and EBCI Cherokee Fire and Rescue.
Fire safety
Chief Bryson reminds residents to be mindful about heating sources this winter and to take fire safety precautions.
“We’ve had several fires in our district and surrounding districts specifically with fireplaces and woodstoves,” he said. “Number one for fireplaces is making sure the chimneys are cleaned regularly and maintained regularly. Making sure with the cleaning they use a reputable chimney sweep company that can use a camera to look at the linings in the chimney.”
When it comes to disposing of ashes, he said people should be sure to empty them in a location outside of the home where they will not cause any issues and avoid putting them near combustible material, such as dried leaves.
“They can hose them down and make sure they are totally out before leaving them,” he said.
Electrical home fires are the leading cause of home fires in the United States, according to National Fire Protection Association. About half are from faulty electrical distribution or lighting equipment while the other half involve other
equipment like washer and dryer fans or portable or stationary space heaters.
Someone was seriously injured in a fire incident recently on Sam Davis Road involving a kerosene heater.
“We had someone burned severely with a kerosene space heater,” said Bryson.
Apparently, the resident was attempting to refill it when they were injured.
NC Farm Bureau Insurance warns that kerosene heaters require 1-K grade kerosene and should never be refueled indoors or when the heater is still hot. The heaters are also meant for large rooms. People are advised to turn them off at night when they are not attended, never smoke refueling them, and never move a lit heater.
When it comes to electric space heaters, Bryson cautions residents to make sure they are not overloading the circuits in the home.
“If it is regularly tripping breakers, that is a problem,” he said, adding, “Keep them away from combustibles by at least three feet.”
Recently, area fire departments have responded to homes where fires started in areas near the house where people had built makeshift shelters for pets. For example, one had a cardboard house with a space heater directed at it that was too close. Warming pads are also a fire risk if an animal paws or bites at the mats, according to Bryson.
The holiday season also includes potential fire hazards, such as increased use of candles and live Christmas trees. Almost half of home decorations in December are caused by candles, according to NFPA. Safety precautions include keeping burning candles at least 12 inches away from anything combustible and to not leave them unattended. When it comes to live Christmas trees, NFPA advises people to keep trees watered and to keep the trees at least 3 feet away from any flames or heat sources.
Bryson advises to make sure smoke detectors are on every level of the house and are operable and to have working carbon monoxide detectors if applicable.
“if they are battery operated, check the batteries on them,” he said. “If they are over 10 years old, they need to be replaced. If there is wood heat, kerosene or other fuel burning sources, there needs to be carbon monoxide detectors in the house as well.”
Residents and visitors alike should also take precaution about outdoor fires and burning debris. Swain County is currently in a D1 moderate drought, like most of the state of North Carolina.