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Aftermath
Shortly after the fire on Myers Street, Putnam, was brought under control Nov. 19. Linda Lemmon photo.
'Probably totaled'
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- An electrical fire, fueled by the propane tank grill, destroyed a family's home at 5 Myers St. Nov. 19.
Normand Perron, fire marshal and assistant fire chief of the Putnam Fire Department, said the owner, Laura Bembenek and her children got out safely and there were no injuries.
Perron said he believes the fire's start was electrical. The fire started in the eave above a propane tank-fueled grill on the back deck around 5:45 p.m. The grill was not in use at the time.
Bembenek happened to look out the back window and see the fire, Perron said. Around the same time, a customer at Dunkin' Donuts next door saw the fire. He came over, helped Bembenek and her three children (two boys and an infant) get out of the home and he also moved a camper that was near the house. The Bembenek family is staying with family nearby.
Perron said about 24 Putnam Fire Department firefighters took on the fire, with about 15 members of the East Putnam Fire Department there as mutual aid. The Pomfret and the West Thompson fire departments were on standby. It took an hour to an hour and a half to bring the fire under control. Perron said the fire was fought externally because of the propane danger. To prevent propane vapors from "flashing back" on firefighters, the fire was allowed to burn through all the propane fuel. There was no explosion. "It's very sad that this happened around the holidays," Perron added. Most of the house and the personal items inside are gone.