Sunapee Firefighters Respond to Electrical Fire on Pleasant Place Sunday

A Pleasant Place homeowner had already doused a basement electrical fire with a hand extinguisher by the time Sunapee Engine 2 rolled up Sunday afternoon, but Acting Chief Pollari's crew still swept the structure with thermal imaging cameras before clearing the scene in under 20 minutes.

Sunapee Fire received the call at 2:33 p.m. on March 22. Engine 2 arrived eight minutes later and found nothing showing from the exterior. The homeowner met firefighters outside and told them the electrical fire had broken out in the basement and that he believed he had put it out himself with a fire extinguisher.

Personnel entered the basement and confirmed the fire had been extinguished. To rule out hidden spread, firefighters checked surrounding areas with thermal imaging cameras and confirmed there was no extension into the walls or other parts of the structure. All Sunapee Fire personnel cleared the scene at 2:51 p.m., 18 minutes after arrival.

The Sunapee Fire Department used the incident to reinforce a standing safety message: "This call once again highlights the importance of having fire extinguishers and working smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in your home."

The department did not release the specific electrical cause beyond classifying the incident as an electrical fire, and no injuries were mentioned in the incident account. No damage estimate was provided.

The quick outcome turned on the homeowner's decision to reach for a fire extinguisher rather than simply evacuate. Had the fire extended into the wall cavities, the story on Pleasant Place could have ended very differently.