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Fire caused by smoking materials

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By HILARY KINDSCHUH / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Sep 05, 2008 - 11:04:26 am CDT

A Thursday afternoon fire that caused $130,000 damage to a home near 56th and Yankee Hill Road was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.

Someone had tried to put out something, possibly a cigarette or cigar, in a plastic flower pot on the back porch area of the home at 8330 S. 61st St., said Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Sellon.

Firefighters arrived within five minutes of the 12:46 p.m. call and found heavy smoke and flames at the back of the house.

Story Photo

The fire traveled up the side of the house and into the eaves of the roof, making its way into the attic area, Sellon said.

The fire was controlled within 15 minutes, but firefighters spent several hours making sure it did not spread through the attic.

It was difficult to get through the drywall ceiling to attack the fire with water, Sellon said. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to relieve some of the heat and smoke.

“The attic fires are the ones that are the most difficult for us to get to because they’re so hard to reach,” Sellon said.

Damage to the structure was estimated at $100,000 with an additional $30,000 damage to content. The home’s assessed value is nearly $230,000.

The family who lived in the house wasn’t home at the time, and two dogs found in the home’s basement were safely rescued. No firefighters were hurt.

The residents probably won’t be able to occupy the house for several months, but it’s not a total loss. The American Red Cross responded, but residents said they would stay with family.

Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com.


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smoking will kill you wrote on September 5, 2008 11:23 am:
" just another reason to quit that bad habit. "

 b wrote on September 5, 2008 11:36 am:
" Another fire from cigarettes/cigars. I like how the fire marshall said I can't have a grill at my apartment, on the porch, but they allow people to smoke on the porches. "

 to b wrote on September 5, 2008 12:50 pm:
" An apartment (business) has a completely different set of fire codes than that of a private dwelling. The Fire Marshall doesn't have the same power over a homeowner as it does on a business owner. "

 smoking will kill you wrote on September 5, 2008 1:07 pm:
" an open fire (grill) on a porch is a little different than a cigarette. you would be putting other people's lives at risk, while this family just put their dog's lives at risk. besides, it's apparently illegal in this country to tell someone to stop poisoning themselves. "

 its because wrote on September 5, 2008 2:29 pm:
" People have civil rights-GRILLS don't! "

 Smoker wrote on September 5, 2008 4:23 pm:
" If someone wants to smoke at their OWN home, that is their right. If they burn their house down in the process, that is their problem. Just because people smoke doesn't mean they are bad people or irresponsible. All you mightier than thou non-smokers, keep your opinions to yourselves. Smoking is a choice, although not a healthy one, but a choice none the less. "

 Kristine wrote on September 5, 2008 4:50 pm:
" Okay, no, the difference between a grill and a cigarette is: the flame. Duh. Nobody has seen how high those grill flames are when it's opened up? It's like listening to children's comments so much of the time on here. "

 cigs DO CAUSE FIRE wrote on September 5, 2008 6:38 pm:
" Ummm...my grill and someone smoking on a porch in my building DO have cause the same danger! Did any of you not see the apartment building that burned down a couple of months ago here in Lincoln BECAUSE OF A CIGARETTE????
My grill at least has a metal lid on it...my neighbors who constantly thrown their nasty cigs over the porch and ON the WOODEN porch etc are just as bad if not worst than my grill.
So yeah smoke if you want to but don't burn down my apt because of it. "

 Mark Welsch wrote on September 18, 2008 11:24 am:
" This is a reason that Nebraska needs to pass a law to force the sale of cigarettes that will go out if they are not being actively smoked. Many fires are caused by cigarettes because the smoker falls asleep in bed, on a couch or chair and their cigarette continues to smolder, starting a fire. These cigarettes are already required in several other states. "

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