House fires in Bronxville Tuckahoe started by painters
Eastchester firefighters battled two house fires in Bronxville and Tuckahoe today that were started by workers removing paint from the outsides of wooden homes with heat guns, officials said.
“It is very unusual to have two fires started the same way within hours of each other,” said Eastchester Fire Chief Michael P. Grogan.
“A heat gun is almost like a blow torch or a hair blower,” said Grogan, explaining how hot the tool gets.
Grogan said the dry wood on old homes coupled with windy conditions may have made it easy to start the two fires.
The second of the two fires, at a private house at 30 Winter Hill Road in Tuckahoe, was put out quickly. A homeowner called the fire department about noon. When firefighters arrived, the homeowner was dousing the flames with a garden house, Grogan said.
Firefighters, already spent from battling a Bronxville fire earlier in the morning, quickly put the blaze out before it could get inside the house.
Two hours earlier, just before 10 a.m. Eastchester firefighters were racing to a two-alarm fire that was started by workers painting a 3 1/2-story old wooden Victorian-style house house in Bronxville, officials said.
Most of the damage caused by the fire at 35 Prescott Ave. was confined to an attic, a ceiling and roof area, Grogan said.
Workers were removing paint from the outside of the cedar wood house with a heat gun when a fire started on the inside dry wood.
“It doesn’t take much to get it going,” said Chief Grogan.
The workers attempted to put out the smoky blaze and someone called the fire department on a cell phone. The call first went to the state police, who transferred the call to the fire department.
Sixteen Easchester firefighters in four engines and two trucks raced to the home through the narrow Prescott Avenue.
They were met by a smoky fire. Firefighters had some difficulty getting to the fire but were able to stop in about one hour.
Under the county mutual aid program, New Rochelle firefighters manned an Eastchester fire house while the town firefighters battled the fire.
No one was reported injured.
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yes we are at 29 mill road i love it here in...
I am speculating but I would say it is safe to assume that both of those houses were built prior to 1978. If that is the case then according to the new EPA Rule 40 CFR Part 745 the contractor should have been certified for safe lead abatement practices which prohibit the use of using a heat gun to remove paint.
If it is determined that the contractor is not a Lead Certified Firm as required, then the firm could be facing penalties up to 37,500 per day per incident. In addition to the firms insurance carrier, if he even has insurance, could deny the claim because the contractor was not using methods that are considered safe.
Looks like the contractor(s) in this case are going to be facing some very expenses claims, the possibility of fines from the EPA as well as loss of reputation, all in all not a very good day.
Upon reading the article again and paying particular attention to the following –
“Workers were removing paint from the outside of the cedar wood house with a heat gun when a fire started on the inside dry wood.”
“It doesn’t take much to get it going,” said Chief Grogan
It would appear that the Chief is unaware of the new EPA regulations concerning paint removal, because if he was, I have to believe he would have been more annoyed at the negligence shown by the contractors in this case.
Perhaps if the Chief were aware of these safety rules he would have made it clear that the actions of the contractor(s) / workmen were careless and that his men were put at risk.
Fortunately no one was injured and this should be a warning to other homeowners to make sure that they hire reputable contractors who are not only licensed and insured but are also aware of current city, state and federal regulations pertaining to their respective trades and will take precautions to ensure they work safe.
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