Candle Sparks Fire in Fairfield Home

Three residents and their dog were able to get out of their house safely when a fire broke out Tuesday night.

The fire started in a second-floor bathroom, where the occupants had reportedly left an unattended candle burning. Upon returning to the bathroom, one of the occupants noticed the fire and heard the smoke alarm sound, according to an incident report from the Fairfield Fire Department. 

"A second occupant tried to use a fire extinguisher to control the fire and buy time as they tried to rescue their dog," the report states. "Despite being exposed to smoke while inside the building, none of the occupants reported injuries and refused medical care on scene."

Firefighters were on scene within five minutes of receiving a 911 call, at 6:11 p.m. 

"Some fire extended to the attic through a bathroom exhaust fan but did not cause significant damage to the roof or structure," according to the report.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is believed to be accidental in nature, and related to the unattended candle. 

“According to the US Fire Administration, there are over 15,000 fires caused by candles in homes each year and 55% of them are caused by candles being too close to other combustible materials," Assistant Fire Chief Scott Bisson said.  

“The smoke detector located outside of the bathroom operated properly just as the occupant noticed the fire and assisted in alerting others in the house of the fire giving them time to safely escape,” Bisson added.

Engine 4 was the first on the scene. Other units responded, as well as Fire Chief Richard Felner. The last fire unit cleared the scene at 7:45 p.m.