Inverness laundry room fire caused by the mishandling of a cigarette
Photo courtesy of CCFR.
Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR)
Inverness, Florida — At 2:50 am on Sunday, September 1, 2024, Citrus County Fire Rescue personnel from the Hernando Fire Station responded to a residence located on N. Wheeler Ave. in Inverness, due a report of smoke within the home.
Firefighters arrived at the residence to find no visible signs of fire from the exterior of the residence. The homeowner informed officials that a fire had occurred in the laundry room, but it had been extinguished.
An investigation revealed that a section of the laundry room was smoldering that involved a plastic laundry basket containing rags and clothing and a nearby plastic cooler, but officials were unable to determine a clear source of the fire.
The homeowner provided security footage showing the tenant entering the laundry room approximately 20 minutes before light smoke became visible in the living area. The footage also captured the tenant re-entering the laundry room, with flames visible. People inside the home denied the presence of potential fire sources such as enclosed batteries, candles or cigarettes.
An investigator with the State Fire Marshal's Office conducted an investigation. It was determined that the fire, which was contained to the laundry room, was caused by the mishandling of a cigarette.
A fan was set up for ventilation. After ensuring there were no hazards using a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor, the occupants were allowed to re-enter the home. The last unit cleared the scene at 6:37 am.
Damages were estimated at approximately $500. No injuries were reported.
During the investigation, it was discovered that a battery-operated smoke detector was present in the home, but it did not activate to alert the occupants due to it having a dead battery - which could have delayed the awareness of the fire and potentially led to greater damage or injury. For this reason, it is important to regularly check your smoke detectors and replace the batteries. Working smoke detectors are a critical first line of defense in alerting occupants to a fire. Also, please exercise caution when handling cigarettes. Always ensure that cigarettes are fully extinguished and properly disposed of to prevent accidental fires.
In the event of a fire, call 911.
Visit Citrus County Fire Rescue's website at www.citruscountyfire.com. Its non-emergency phone number is (352) 527-5406, and its business office is located at 1520 N. Meadowcrest Blvd. in Crystal River, Florida.