Dillsboro, IN — A 47-year-old man was injured in an apartment fire in Dillsboro Friday night.
Firefighters from several departments responded just after 10 pm to Dillsboro Village Apartments on Alpha Drive.
According to investigators, the victim was trying to put out the flames when he suffered second-degree burns to his face as well as smoke inhalation
The unidentified man was taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth-Dearborn.
Firefighters say the flames started when a heat source came into contact with combustible materials.
The cause of the fire has been listed as accidental.
Around 25 firefighters from the Dillsboro, Aurora, Friendship, and Lawrenceburg fire departments along with Aurora EMS responded.
Dillsboro Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Kevin Turner says these types of fires are common during the winter months and offered the following safety tips:
1. Do not place anything combustible (which includes clothes, curtains, wood products-just about anything) too close to a heat source. Common occurrences are fireplaces with paper, kindling, or decorations too close; candles and candle warmers that either fall onto combustible material or the combustible material falls on them. Even candle warmers, placed in direct contact with a fuel source for a long period of time, can start a fire.
2. Do not overload outlets. If too many appliances or decorations are using too much electricity than the outlet’s wiring is designed to handle, then the wiring can short out. Adding a power strip does not protect from fire. The power strip will fail first causing it to release a large amount of heat when it shorts out, catching nearby materials on fire.
3. Running extension cords under moveable furniture or under carpeting. When putting up decorations for the Holiday Season, it is tempting to hide cords under rugs. If the cord fails and emits a large amount of heat during a short circuit, the rug is a ready combustible material that will not only hide the fire but trap the heat to increase it. Furniture can rub against extension cords wearing out their protective insulation and resulting in a bare wire coming into contact with a conductive or combustible material.
4. Ignoring tripped breakers. If a breaker in a panel box trips, this means the electrical circuit it protects is drawing more electricity than the wiring was designed to handle. Reduce the power load on the circuit instead of continuing to reset breakers.
Dillsboro, IN — A 47-year-old man was injured in an apartment fire in Dillsboro Friday night.
