PLAINFIELD — During an ice storm on Monday morning, firefighters put out blazes caused by a wood stove at a home on South Central Street.
A fire broke out in an apartment attached to a private home, which is also connected to a post office. “The apartment was heated by a wood stove and the resident in the apartment had put wet clothes and stuff directly on the wood stove and then he left,” said David Alvord, chief of the Plainfield Fire Department.
The property owner used a fire extinguisher on the fire before firefighters from the Plainfield Fire Department and the Cummington Fire Department put out the blazes completely.
The incident did not injure anyone but did leave some damage to the apartment, according to Alvord.
It could have become a major house fire. “It was a very close call,” Alvord said. “I think the best thing I can say is thank goodness this person had a smoke detector and a working fire extinguisher … that saved it.”
This winter, the Plainfield Fire Department has responded to a number fires, Alvord said. “All of them have been in one way or another heating related.”
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.