Louise Moran and her husband, Anthony, eye ‘Baxter’, their American Chihuahua puppy, who they say alerted them to a fire in their garage Friday afternoon. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – An American Chihuahua puppy has been credited with alerting his owners of a fire Friday afternoon which seriously damaged their house, garage and the vehicle parked inside.
Anthony Moran of Springdale Road said that he and his wife, Louise, had been sitting down to eat when ‘Baxter’, their 14-month-old puppy started barking and crying. When they investigated they found their garage ablaze.
Louise Moran said that she stayed inside only long enough to dial 911 before she and her husband, with Baxter, fled the cape-style house.
Dep. Fire Chief Mark Devine reports that Engine 3 and Med 30, stationed at the department’s North Side sub-station on Southampton Road, were the first firefighters on scene and immediately began an interior attack on the fire raging in the garage.
“The garage was going good”, Devine said, “they did a good job” knocking the fire down before other firefighters and apparatus arrived to help.
Devine reports that the fire caused serious structural damage to the garage and involved the breeze way and attic of the attached single story house.
Moran said that he had been cooking on his gas grill in his yard behind the garage and had gone inside to eat when Baxter’s agitated behavior alerted him to the fire.
He said that he did not think that the gas grill was involved in starting the fire but said that he did not know what did ignite the blaze.
Devine, however, said that the gas grill was peripherally involved in starting the fire.
He explained that the automatic ignition system for the grill had failed and Moran had used a propane soldering torch to light his grill. He said that, after the grill was lit, Moran put the torch back on a shelf in the garage, near some kind of combustible material.
Devine said that he does not know if there was a problem with the shut off valve which caused the torch to retain a small flame or if the tip was merely hot when it came into contact with something on the shelf which ignited and was reduced to unrecognizable ashes.
Moran said that the garage will have to be replaced but Devine was not certain. He said that the joists are sagging but said they may be able to be shored up and replaced. He estimated the value of the damage to the structure at $30,000.
Contractors drag a Jeep Liberty SUV from a burned out garage after the vehicle was destroyed by a fire Friday afternoon. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
A Jeep Liberty SUV which had been parked inside was reportedly a total loss.
Devine said that, although there was no structural damage to the house, there was serious smoke damage there.
“As soon as I got near Friendly’s (on Southampton Road) I could see the smoke,” he said.
He explained that the smoke, much of it caused by burning plastic and other toxic materials, left a layer of soot over much of the house which is itself toxic and will require professional cleaning before the Morans may safely return to live in their home.
Anthony Moran said that he was born in Westfield and has lived in his house on Springdale Street for “fifty something” years.
“This didn’t make my day, I can tell you that,” he said and said that he had recently made some improvements to his home.
He said that he had purchased new furniture, had painted inside and had had the floors refinished.
He and his wife will be staying with relatives for the immediate future, he said, and said that he does not look forward to the upcoming repair work that will dominate his life for the foreseeable future.
But he’s grateful for Baxter and his warning.
“He’s a smart little dog” he said.
