KEARNY–
A candle left burning while the residents were out is blamed for a Saturday evening fire at a single-family home on the 100 block of Argyle Place, Kearny fire officials reported.
The damage was described as “moderate” and limited to the dining room and its contents.
Kearny Fire Chief Steve Dyl said the blaze was reported at 5:40 p.m. Dec. 21 by an off-duty firefighter who was walking his dog and heard the smoke alarms go off in the house. The KFD had the fire under control in 10 minutes. Dyl said no one was home at the time.
The chief stressed two messages to take away from this incident, which obviously could have been far worse:
1) “Do not leave candles unattended and near combustibles.”
2) “Keep smoke detectors operational. Smoke detectors provided early warning here and prevented a more serious fire.”
(Editor’s note: This advice, offered countless times, cannot be repeated often enough).
– Karen Zautyk
