NORTHAMPTON — A frozen pipe and a heat gun caused a small fire at a Union Street home Tuesday night.
The Northampton Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in a wall in the residence around 6:40 p.m., according to Assistant Fire Chief Jon Davine.
When firefighters arrived, Davine said they found a small fire in the exterior wall of the kitchen and were able to put it out with a fire extinguisher.
Davine said a resident was trying to thaw a frozen pipe in the wall with a heat gun when a wall stud and nearby wiring caught on fire.
“We don’t want people using heat guns, torches. We want them to call a plumber,” Davine said. “The average homeowner doesn’t know how to thaw a pipe with a torch, let alone operate a torch. Call a licensed plumber. They know what they are doing. They operate that equipment all the time.”
Professionals in the field of heating and plumbing agree. Casey Bashaw, a lead installer and estimator with MJ Moran, said there is always a danger anytime a flame source is being used, no matter who is using it.
Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the Fire Department responded to eight calls just for broken or burst pipes, Davine said. Last weekend MJ Moran received more than 40 service calls, Bashaw said.
“This has taken it to an all new level,” Bashaw said. “Right across the board — plumbing, heating — everybody is busy right now.”
To avoid frozen pipes, Bashaw recommends leaving the heat up higher than normal. Using alternative heat sources like pellet or wood stoves and gas fireplaces can also cause issues as a home’s main heat system then isn’t being used and could lead to portions of the house freezing up, Bashaw explained.
“The weather is not anybody’s friends right now,” Bashaw said. “Whatever you normally keep your heat at, turn it up higher.”
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.