At 3:04 pm Thursday, East Contra firefighters were dispatched to a report of a fire inside a home in the 1200 block of Fetzer Lane in Oakley.
Upon arrival the crew from Station 93 located a smoke filled room and the fire was quickly extinguished and a firefighter brought two turtles to safety.
According to Battalion Chief Brian Helmick, this fire had potential to cause a lot of damage.
“There was absolutely potential for a much larger incident when there is a heating lamp and rags that catch fire near the cage. The rags are what caught fire and the tortoise’s cage was a wood structure,” said Helmick.
He highlighted how the homeowner came home from work to a room charged with smoke and there was actually someone sleeping in another room unaware of what was going on.
“To his credit, the homeowner shut the door which was wise and contained it to the room,” said Helmick. “When we arrived, we came across a room charged with smoke and minimal fire that extended to the tank and walls.”
He says that if there were drapes and blinds, there could have been a room fire.
Firefighters Make Quick Work of Bedroom Fire on Serenity Lane
Earlier in the day, at 11:00 am, East Contra Costa firefighters responded to a report of a mattress fire in a bedroom in the 40 block of Serenity Lane.
Firefighters arrived on scene to smoke in the bedroom and quickly extinguished the mattress fire.
According to Battalion Chief Helmick, the fire started after a space heater overheated as it was plugged into a USB Port (modified plug) and caught the bed on fire.
“The heating element and heater were left unattended,” said Helmick. “The lesson learned is all heating devices have the potential for fire and should not be left unattended. Turn them off when leaving the room or they are not being used.”
On both incidents, Helmick explained they were lucky the fires were recognized when they were because both had potential for growth.
“With heating elements and devices you need to make sure nothing combustible is nearby,” said Helmick.
