August 6, 2004

Lamp causes fire in garage

       A Bargersville man living in a converted garage lost most of his possessions in a fire Thursday morning.  Investigators believe an overheated lamp cord between a wall and a bed in the apartment caused the fire, said Mike Pruitt, division chief of the Bargersville Fire Department.

            Firefighters were called to the house at 304 E. Old Plank Road about 10:32 a.m. Thursday.  The home is owned by Kenneth Scantland.  The apartment received extensive damage, and the rest of the residence was damaged by smoke, Pruitt said.  Damage is estimated at about $5,000, Pruitt said.

            A resident of the house, Laura Mattox, was home alone and discovered the fire.  Her brother, Leonard Scantland, lives in the apartment and said he had experienced some problems with the lamp recently, according to a news release from the fire department.

            The fire was extinguished in less than 10 minutes with the help of White River Township and Franklin fire departments, Pruitt said.  (This article reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)
 

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