Fire Department

A west side resident lent a neighbor the use of his apartment and TV while he went off to work. When he returned home, he found the apartment full of smoke and the neighbor passed out and intoxicated on the couch.

Engine Co. 7 and Medic 7 were dispatched. Upon entering the unit, the crew’s mobile carbon monoxide monitor began to alarm. The monitor indicated CO levels around 130 parts per million. Firefighters searched the apartment for the origin of the smoke and located a smoldering pile of laundry next to an ashtray. The smoldering clothes were removed from the apartment and revealed the carpet beneath the clothes was smoldering too. Firefighters wet down the carpet and surrounding area. The crew set up a fan to clear the smoke and carbon monoxide from the unit.

The fire was caught early enough that the neighbor was not harmed, and the smoke did not displace the original occupant from his unit. Firefighters escorted the neighbor back to her apartment.