Firefighters Catch Active Fire Threat Early Thanks To Automatic Alarm

Madison firefighters learned, after responding to an automatic alarm activation, the owners of a west side home were out of town.
 
Upon arriving, Engine Company 12 peered through the front window and saw a light haze of smoke in the living room. The smoke appeared to be coming from furniture gathered in the middle of the living room. It also appeared the home was in the process of being painted.
 
With the front door, windows, and alternate sliding door locked – and a key holder just moments away – the firefighters decided to wait without forcing entry. They were prepared to do so, if needed, as they monitored for changing conditions and kept a pressurized watering can in hand.
 
When a homeowner’s relative arrived with a key, they were disappointed to find the key didn’t work. Multiple attempts were made to use the key on two different doors. Nothing worked.
 
Firefighters ultimately broke the window near a door and reached in to unlock the home. They found the source of the smoke—left arm of a chair—and doused it with water.
 
Engine 12 soon learned that a contractor had been working in the home. While clearing away furniture to paint the living room, they set a lamp onto the plastic-covered chair.
 
The lamp was plugged into a concealed outlet and set to a timer that turned the lamp on while nobody was around. The heat from the bulb was enough to melt the plastic and char the furniture.
 
No active fire had ever been seen, but there were orange embers along the site of the charring. Firefighters removed the chair, cushion, blanket, and lamp to the driveway to isolate the items.
 
The owner was reached by telephone and apprised of the situation, and their insurance company was also contacted.