Ashes Blamed For House Fire On Harrison Avenue

The New Canaan Fire Department quickly extinguished a small fire in a home on Harrison Avenue Friday afternoon.

According to officials, the fire was ignited by improperly disposed ashes in a bedroom of the home. The three occupants of the home escaped without injury.

"They were very lucky," said Jack Hennessey, assistant fire chief. "When we arrived there was heavy smoke throughout the house. Smoke is what kills people, not the heat. If this happened overnight, it might have been a lot worse."

The fire department responded to a call at approximately 12:32 p.m. about a fire in the ranch-style house at 137 Harrison Avenue. Hennessey said the home was not equipped with smoke detectors and there was minimal damage to items in the home.

Fire Marshal Fred Baker, who investigated the scene, indicated the fire was the result of carelessness.

"There were cigarette butts disposed of in a trash can," he said. "It seems to be that smoking-related and improperly discarded smoking materials continue to be a problem."

On January 15, improperly discarded smoking materials caused a fire on Fawn Lane that destroyed the home of Peggy and Dan Lee. No one was injured in that blaze.