Evanston fire officials on Tuesday were warning residents not to use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes after firefighters responded recently to a house fire believed to have started after someone in the home use a torch to unfreeze bathroom pipes.
According to a fire department news release, firefighters were called around 4:30 p.m. Feb. 16 to the 1000 block of Fowler Avenue on a report of smoke coming from a single-family home. When emergency responders arrived, white smoke was seen coming from the chimney of the home, the release states.
The release states that the fire, which was confined to a second floor bathroom in the home, was quickly extinguished — “with minimal fire and water damage” — and there were no injuries reported.
An investigation into the blaze revealed it was started after someone used a torch to thaw a frozen water pipe, fire officials said in the release.
“Do not use torches to thaw your pipes,” said deputy fire chief Kimberly Kull. “You could start a fire, like they did.”
Kull urged use of a space heater for warming, and provided tips for dealing with — or even preventing — frozen pipes.
“Insulate the area around the pipes to prevent them from freezing. Use tape if there’s pipes in unheated areas to prevent them from freezing,” she said.
Brian L. Cox is a freelancer.