Something electronic sparked a fire in a girl’s bedroom Monday morning, but the Grande Prairie Fire Department can’t determine exactly what is was. A 12 year old was woken up by the heat of the flames a little before 4:25 a.m., and managed to wake up the rest of her home in Pinnacle Ridge.
Acting platoon chief Matthew Mann says what she did next stopped the fire from spreading even further. After working smoke detectors, sleeping with a closed door is people’s best defense against a fire.
“The girl closed the door behind her as she left the room, and she was able to contain the damage to the single room of the house,” Mann explains. “Even a simple residential bedroom door can keep smoke and fire out of your room for such a time that you can get out safely or we can help you get out safely.”
The girl suffered minor burns and was treated at the scene by EMS. The family tried to put the fire out, but couldn’t, so they called 9-1-1 and escaped safely.
The fire department arrived quickly and was able to get the blaze under control by 4:40 a.m. An investigation into the cause of the fire has been done, and while it’s been deemed to be electrical, Mann says the source can’t be pinpointed.
“We’ve been unable to specifically identify which piece of electrical equipment started the fire. There was several pieces of equipment in the area of origin. Things like electrical cords… I do believe there was a cell phone charging in the area.”
Further investigation will be needed. The damage to the home is pegged around $7,500.