Smoke alarm wakens sleeping resident

A sleeping Lebanon resident was alerted to a fire by a smoke alarm mid-morning, Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the 500 block of Harrison Street. Fire crews arrived and found the remains of candle wax that had melted over the countertop after a candle was left burning unattended in the kitchen area and caught a wooden decorative crate on fire.

The smoke detector did its job to alert the resident, who was then able to extinguish the fire quickly and call for help. Crews were on scene for more than 30 minutes checking for hot spots and any extension into the walls or cabinetry. Fire crews used a high-pressure fan to remove all the smoke from the residence and replaced a smoke detector that also malfunctioned. No injuries were reported, and the resident was able to re-occupy her home.

Lebanon Fire responded with 12 personnel on one engine, one ladder truck and two ALS ambulances. Two chief officers and one deputy fire marshal also responded.

The Lebanon Fire District would like to remind residents of the importance of working smoke alarms. For assistance with smoke alarms in your home, contact the Fire & Life Safety Division at (541) 451-1901. Candles and other burning materials should also be fully extinguished when not supervised. Extra caution should be used with homemade candles, as heat from melting wax can cause glass containers to break and spread fire.