VIDEO: Man, home burned by generator incident
Published 12:12 am Wednesday, November 24, 2021
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
EJ Williams/ Orange Leader
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From staff reports
A fire, started from a portable generator, severely burned a man and destroyed a home in the Brownwood addition late Saturday evening, according to fire authorities.
The blaze appears to have erupted on the front porch of a two-story house in the 500 block of North Street in Orange and spread to the main residence. Firefighters responded to the reported structure fire at approximately 3:25 p.m.
While the cause of the blaze remains under investigation, it appears to have begun from a generator in use at the time, the Orange Fire Department reported.
Upon arrival on scene, firefighters found a double story structure fully engulfed on fire with heavy smoke and flames coming out of the structure. There were several vehicles in the yard that were also on fire from the blaze.
Heavy black smoke from the fire could be seen from several blocks away from the scene.
By the time firefighters arrived, the occupants working on the home had escaped.
One man received burns on his arms and upper body. After being assessed on scene by paramedics, he was taken to a nearby helicopter for transport to a burn center for treatment of his injuries.
After Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, many residents began relying on generators to keep the lights on, or supply power to work tools for repairing homes, but the equipment carries a number of hazards, including fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Officials believe a generator may have sparked a fire due to the operator fueling the equipment while it was running. The home was a total lost from the blaze. It was undergoing remodeling work at the time of the fire.
Studies show that residents should keep portable generators outside and at least 20 feet away from a home. They should also keep the generators’ fuel outside and only fill them up outdoors.
