CLEARVILLE, Pa. — Fire department officials said Sunday that a Bedford County home was spared from destruction simply by leaving a bedroom door closed — starving the fire of oxygen.
“The family was outside playing ball and someone came inside the house and smelled smoke,” Flintstone Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Bowman said. “They went up and felt the closed bedroom door … it was hot, so they evacuated the house.”
Bowman said simply by leaving the door shut deprived the fire of oxygen, which delayed or significantly slowed the overall growth of the fire.
Units were dispatched to 2206 Beans Cove Road in Southampton Township just before 2 p.m. after receiving a mutual aid request from the Bedford County 911 Center, according to a spokesperson for the Allegany County Joint Communications Center.
The fire started and was isolated to a bedroom of the two-story, log cabin with a walkout basement, Bowman said.
“The fire was brought under control in about 15 minutes,” Bowman said.
Approximately 30 firefighters were on scene two hours, according to the Joint Communications Center spokesperson.
Units from Baltimore Pike, Flintstone, Corriganville, Ellerslie, LaVale, District 16, Bedford Road and Allegany County Department of Emergency Services from Allegany County, Wiley Ford and Ridgeley from Mineral County, West Virginia, and Bedford, Everett and Chaneysville in Bedford County responded to the blaze.
Firefighters believe that an electrical malfunction from a battery charger caused the blaze.
Bowman said that fire damage was isolated to the bedroom, but there may be water damage to other portions of the house from firefighting operations.
“Please do not leave electronic devices unattended while they are plugged in or charging,” Bowman said.
Bowman also reminded citizens of the importance of leaving doors closed while sleeping or doing daily tasks to block extreme heat from fires, traps carbon monoxide in the room and allows residents time to escape, should a fire does break out.
No injuries were reported.
Bowman said the residence was occupied by five people, both adult and children.
Fire department officials contacted the Pennsylvania State Fire Marshal’s Office, but they did not respond to the scene.
Todd Bowman is a local and national journalist specializing in public safety news. Follow his work on all social media platforms @BreakingBowman.