STANTON : Candle Left Burning Leads to House Fire

A house was extensively damaged by fire Wednesday after a lighted candle under a Christmas tree caused the tree to burst into flames.

Residents escaped unharmed from the house at 7823 1st St. after their barking dog woke them to the danger, Fire Capt. Dan Young said.

Young said firefighters got the call at 7:38 a.m. and arrived on the scene four minutes later. The blaze was under control in 24 minutes, he said. He estimated the total damage at $31,000 and said the smoke and fire had made the house temporarily uninhabitable.

The Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross responded to the call and is providing food, clothing and temporary shelter to the three residents, Kathryn Pape, 41, and her two teen-age daughters.

Young said the family had left a candle burning in a snowman figure at the base of their Christmas tree in the living room. He said the candle burned down and ignited cotton and paper decorations around the tree area. That, in turn, caused the tree to explode into flames, Young said.

“We always advise families to unplug lights on the tree at night, and needless to say we urge people to extinguish candles before they go to bed,” Young said.

Young said the house did not have a smoke detector, but that the family’s dog started barking after the fire broke out, and the barking woke up the three residents. They got outside, and a neighbor alerted the Fire Department, he said.

The fire caused heavy damage to the living room and its contents and to a roof and interior wall, Young said.