RICHFIELD — Beverly Cross was at home when a fire began in her family’s bathroom shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday, but it was what she saw on television that likely minimized the damage.
Cross was at her home, 3465 River Road, when she smelled smoke, but didn’t immediately know the origin. Her smoke detector didn’t initially sound, but Cross searched her home for the smoke. She found a wall of fire inside a front bathroom near an outlet. She closed the door because it’s what she’d seen done on TV.
“I knew I had to close to door so air wouldn’t get to it,” she said.
She left her house and went to a neighbor’s home to see if they had a fire extinguisher and called 911 for help.
Pooletown Fire Chief Darrell Dennis said a curling iron plugged into the wall outlet appeared to be the origin of the fire. He said when firefighters went into the bathroom the wires were frayed. The damage was contained to the bathroom, but the home did have heavy smoke and water damage throughout.
Beverly and her husband, Michael, have lived at the home for 13 years and say they are both glad the fire was contained to the bathroom.
The following fire agencies responded — Pooletown and Richfield Fire departments as well as two stations from Liberty Fire Department.